Winter Olympics

[Manekineko 200]

So... with 'only' three TV channels from which to choose (Croatian TV, Slovenian TV, and Eurosport), I managed to see almost everything I wanted, although it ment staing up late. (Zzz...)

Anyway, here are some impressions:

Ole Einar is crazy! But he's also great!  (Aww...) Since I miss the times when Norwegian cross-country runners ruled (ahh, Dahlie, Ulvang, and many others) I was very happy to see Bjoerndalen shooting clean, and on standing, no less! (Note...) Go, crazy Einar! 4 golds in one olympics, you can do it! :-)

With no Vik in nordic combined, I transferred my sympathies to Sampa Lajunen. So I like winners...  (Blush...)  But my heart will always belong to Ogiwara. Ganbare, Kenji-sama!

In ski-jumping, Simon Aman brought a smile to my face... Not that I'm cheering for him, but with Norwegians and Japanese in the dumps (Huh?)  I cheered for anyone who could take the gold away from far-too-perfect, four-hill-winner Hannawald (I simply dislike the guy). So nobody happier than me when Hannawald sat on the snow yesterday to earn himslef the chocolate medal! (Being sneaky...)  ...And gave Finland a medal in jumping. Poor Ahonen, though, he got chocolate on the k90...

The team event should be interesting. Before the olympics I'd say the gold would be fought over by Austria and Finland, since Germans didn't have 4 good jumpers. But now both Fins and Austrians are having problems, so anything can happen. Slovenia will fight Japan for chocolate and hope for a major screw-up among the big three. That li'l Kranjec looks promissing! (Thumbs up...)

Aamodt rules the combined, but Bode Miller came so close... Ganbare, Bode, you're one of the rare Americans I like. (Sigh...)  But don't you dare defeat Ivica in slalom!  :-9

What else is there - speed skating is interesting to watch, but since I don't follow it I can't comment on it. Likewise for artistic skating, although there I have my darlings, but I just couldn't find time to watch it properly. I'll watch the gala... Fresstyle skiing is also interesting to watch!  :-9

I'd like to watch curling, but there is simply no time nor energy left in me.  (Dozing off...)

Hereby this ramble ends. Oh yes, I watched Lord of the Rings yesterday (and had to tape both ski-jumping and biathlon so I could watch it too), and it really looks nice. But now I must wait another TWO years to see it to the end! Woe! At least I have books to sate me for now. So I blame this ramble on lack of sleep, too much work and olympics and halucogenic influence of pretty pictures...

:-)

[Hoshifransu 0]

Well, it seems you're a great fan of the Olympic Games, Manekineko ! Personally, I'm a big Hockey fan and that night I watched a magnificient Switzerland Vs Bielorus and it was a very good Swiss Team. But I'm waiting for watching big games to come like for example, we could have Finland, Canada, USA, Czech Republic fighting eachother ... And that would be a great show !

[Guest Kaikitsune]

So nobody happier than me when Hannawald sat on the snow yesterday to earn himslef the chocolate medal!

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

I adore our women's ice-hockey team.

(Aww...)  (Thumbs up...)  (Aww...)  (Thumbs up...)  (Aww...)

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

It just occurred to me that Simon Ammann resembles Harry Potter in ten years' time. I bet he barely dared to dream of a medal of any colour. Let alone two golden ones! (Exclamation)

[Manekineko 200]

I just had to post: Croatia is finaly on the medals list... with a gold no less. And with a solid chance for more, too. Amazing. Whatever did we do to deserve Ivica & Janica!  (Sigh...)

Oh, you don't want to miss our bob-team. It will be fighting for movie-rights against Jamaica and other Latin-American, Pacific and Asian bob-sleighs.  :-)

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

Congrats to Croatia! :-)

What a show Swedes put up against Canadians! :-0

Let's see whether Finns can do the same for Americans? (Sigh...)

[Manekineko 200]

Again, I can't resist (I must have been a Norwegian in a previous life):

Ole Einar!  (Aww...)  (Aww...)  (Aww...)

Kjetil Andre!  (Aww...)  (Aww...)

[Hoshifransu 0]

Terrific game from Sweden, they "trashed" Canada, surprisingly ! Well, Finland were a bit disappointed against the USA but very impressive against Bielarus, so what a game : Finland Vs Russia !!! I collect a lot of beer and popcorn and I watch that one ! Great ! It's like a classic Takanohana Vs Akebono, to me ! Who's your favourite ? Mine is Sweden. They are magic, they play like Brazil played soccer in the 80's, they look untouchable, they do what they want to do ... Coooooooome on Sweeeeeeden !

[Manekineko 200]

Another medal for Janica, and in Super-G, which is not one of her strong points! :-9

Relay in cross-country went again to sprint finish between Norwegians and Italians  (Sigh...)  Maybe if Bjoerndalen had run for Norwegians they'd have more of a margin...  :-) But a good success for USA team!

In nordic-combined a well deserved gold for Suomi, with a bit surprising battle for silver and bronze. USA was also very good, as in cross-country.

But did you watch the finals in men's 1000m short track speed skating?  :-)  Man, what a way for Oz to win gold! Yes! That Ozie gets my vote for the luckiest man in olympics!

[Doitsuyama 1,178]

The team event should be interesting. Before the olympics I'd say the gold would be fought over by Austria and Finland, since Germans didn't have 4 good jumpers. But now both Fins and Austrians are having problems, so anything can happen. Slovenia will fight Japan for chocolate and hope for a major screw-up among the big three. That li'l Kranjec looks promissing! (Thumbs up...)

It sure was a close finish for the Finns (could it have been ever closer at the end?), but not with the Austrians. They even fell back behind the surpisingly strong Slovenians.

To your satisfaction Hannawald wasn't so strong today, but the German team showed (not for the first time) that it indeed has four good jumpers.

Finally I think the Czech team will again make it in the hockey competition. Maybe we saw the final matchup against Sweden yesterday?

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

It sure was a close finish for the Finns (could it have been ever closer at the end?), but not with the Austrians.

(...)

Finally I think the Czech team will again make it in the hockey competition. Maybe we saw the final matchup against Sweden yesterday?

I believe a winner would have been found even if the points had been exactly the same. I think there once (many moons ago) was such a case where the order of the jumps was the decisive factor. I think the better first round jumps were favoured but I might remember wrong. (What is that?)

This bitter disappointment will most likely make me excessively meticulous when facing German opponents this coming Haru Basho. (Being sneaky...)

Swedes & Czechs are really tough but so are Americans. I'm quite disappointed in Canadians, though. (Huh?)

PS. Doitsu, I'm working on glossary every now and then whenever opportunity arises. Patience.

PPS. Your avatar isn't showing.

[Manekineko 200]

This bitter disappointment will most likely make me excessively meticulous when facing German opponents this coming Haru Basho. (Being sneaky...)

But, don't forget that Hautamaeki (sp?) did fall on the outrun line. Both the Slovenian commentator and my brother swear that he fell just before it and that his marks should have gone down... in which case Finns wouldn't be so close to Germans. Also, if only Veli Matti Whatever jumped a bit better, they would have overtaken the Germans... If, if, if. At least the Slovenians were happy!

[Hoshifransu 0]

Great come-back that night from the Canadian team thanks to captain Mario Lemieux, they drew with the Czech team ! If they carry on improving, perhaps they will have a chance to make it, but the big sensation is Sweden, of course !  :-0

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

But, don't forget that Hautamaeki (sp?) did fall on the outrun line. Both the Slovenian commentator and my brother swear that he fell just before it and that his marks should have gone down... in which case Finns wouldn't be so close to Germans. Also, if only Veli Matti Whatever jumped a bit better, they would have overtaken the Germans... If, if, if. At least the Slovenians were happy!

Hautam

[Manekineko 200]

I adore our women's ice-hockey team.

(Aww...)

[Manekineko 200]

Ole Einar!

[Doitsuyama 1,178]

I bet Canada were very small favorites in Curling compared to Sweden against White Russia (or Belorus or whatever it is in English). Since the Czech lost to Russia 0:1 my predicted final Sweden-Czech proved to be a perfect jinx. So I boldly predict now that the US team will win against Germany tonight.

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

Congratulations to Sweden for women's ice-hockey bronze. We really, really should have scored in the third period but that young girl of yours was great. I would run away from a puck coming at me! (Looks around...)

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

Congratulations to Sweden for women's ice-hockey bronze. We really, really should have scored in the third period but that young girl of yours was great. I would run away from a puck coming at me! (Looks around...)

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

I didn't see the Sweden-Finland match, but I saw some of the earlier ones and she (Kim Martin) was really good. Quite amazing for someone not yet through compulsory school (or whatever it's called in english).

I believe she's agewise very close to what Emma Laaksonen (our defender #3) was in Nagano. Just under sixteen, that is.

Laaksonen became the youngest ever Finnish olympic medalist then and now probably Martin's the respective Swedish one? (Sigh...)

But isn't Kim a boy's name? :-)

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

I didn't see the Sweden-Finland match, but I saw some of the earlier ones and she (Kim Martin) was really good. Quite amazing for someone not yet through compulsory school (or whatever it's called in english).

I believe she's agewise very close to what Emma Laaksonen (our defender #3) was in Nagano. Just under sixteen, that is.

Laaksonen became the youngest ever Finnish olympic medalist then and now probably Martin's the respective Swedish one? :-)

But isn't Kim a boy's name? (Eh?)

Yes you are right, she's just a couple of weeks shy of 16. Don't know if she's the youngest Swedish Olympic medalist though. I'll check when I can (but I actually think she is not. There is a Swedish swimmer in the 60s who were only 14 or 15 when winning a gold, I think).

Well, Kim is both a boys name and girls name. I don't know where to check the statistics, but on the top of my head, I would guess there are more girls than boys in Sweden who are called Kim. But of course, there's a Kim on the men's ice hockey team as well!

[Hoshifransu 0]

Great final in Hockey where Canada beated USA by 5-2 (after being trashed by Sweden during the Tournament, what a pity for Sweden ...) and Manekineko-zeki, you should be a bit happy because of Joe Sakic performance, 2 goals during the game and man of the match, for sure. The father of Joe Sakic came from Croatia to settle down in Canada. Well, that's the end of the Olympics but tomorrow, great moments for the sumo fans of course : Eurosport start with the whole re-coverage of the January Basho and the brand new banzuke !!! So, tomorrow will be an attractive day too !  [(Eh?)

[Manekineko 200]

and Manekineko-zeki, you should be a bit happy because of Joe Sakic performance, 2 goals during the game and man of the match, for sure. The father of Joe Sakic came from Croatia to settle down in Canada.

I'm happier because of Janica, three! golds and a silver... That's a medal tally to shame a smaller country! Then again, that *is* a medal tally of a smaller country...  :-)

Pity about her brother, Ivica, but the men's slalom was wonderful to watch... I was laughung out loud by the end, and watched the re-run on Eurosport just to hear their commentator foam at the mouth when he realised that GB won an alpine skiing medal! Bode Miller showed hiss Bode-iness again, clawing his way to the goal line... good show, Bode! (Thumbs up...)

GB shone through in women's curling, too, winning gold. Scots must be really proud! And men's curling! First the brave but wain fight of Sweden for bronze, ending with a fluorish by Sweden's skip... and then the finale of mistakes and mis-judgements between Norway and Canada. Finaly Canada's mistakes prooved more costly and Norway won an unexpected gold. Perhaps the royal presence in the audience helped, king Harald was watching, with expert commentary by Norway women's team skip.

Ah, I envy Norway's royal family, they get to travel to all winter Olympics and Nordic World Championships... hmm, perhaps I should marry into their family... is there a crown prince awailable, by any chance?  (Eh?)

Unfortunately, the end of Olympics was marred by the doping scandal in cross-country. Winners of both marathons, the most prestigious of nordic disciplines, were found positive...  (I do not get it...)  :-@  :-)  Why did you do it, Muehlegg?  :~-(  But Stefania Belmondo's run was wonderful! She showed such form, if marathon was in free-style she would have won gold! Go, Steffi!

I'll leave the hockey to you guys, but I'm glad for Canada. As long as USA lost!  (Devilish thought)

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

Ah, I envy Norway's royal family, they get to travel to all winter Olympics and Nordic World Championships... hmm, perhaps I should marry into their family... is there a crown prince awailable, by any chance?