The Fastest Sport on Ice

Like its cousin, bobsled, the sport of luge is known for its breakneck speed, hairpin turns, and the high potential for crashes. This, if you ask me, makes for a pretty great sport.



2006 Winter Olympic Results

Men's Singles
Gold-Armin Zoggeler (Italy)
Silver-Albert Demtschenko (Russia)
Bronze-Mārtiņš Rubenis (Latvia)

Women's Singles
Gold-Sylke Otto (Germany)
Silver-Silke Kraushaar (Germany)
Bronze-Tatjana Hufner (Germany)

Doubles
Gold- Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger (Austria)
Silver- André Florschütz and Torsten Wustlich (Germany)
Bronze- Gerhard Plankensteiner and Oswald Haselrieder (Italy)

US Outlook: 2009 has been a great year for US luge so far, with plenty of speed and excitement, and several key wins, which is a good sign going into preparations for Vancouver. Erin Hamlin shocked the world at the World Championships on February 6th in Lake Placid, when she became the first non-German to win a luge World Championship in 16 years. At the same event Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin took the bronze medal in the two-man competition. Then, at the Norton National Championships, Tony Benshoof took the gold medal for men’s singles, alongside Hamlin, Grimmette and Martin. Despite the German dominance on the women's side, Hamlin's shocking victory in Lake Placid may signal a new era for women's luge. On the men's side, although Benshoof, Grimmette and Martin have looked strong this season, it's not likely that they'll be able to break the stronghold that Europe has on the event.

Cool Runnings: Boblsed

Today we take a look at one of my favorite Winter Olympic sports, bobsled (or bobsleigh) and not just because it was the subject of an awesome movie.

2006 Results
2 Man-Gold: Germany-Andre Lange and Kevin Kuske
Silver: Canada-Pierre Lueders and Lascelles Brown
Bronze: Switzerland- Martin Annen and Beat Hefti

4-Man Gold: Germany
Silver: Russia
Bronze: Switzerland

US: The US's highest finish in the two men bobsleigh was 6th place, while two four-man teams placed 6th and 7th respectively.

U.S. Outlook in 2008: Although USA Bobsleigh appears to be going strong, it’s not likely that they’ll overthrow the powerhouses of Germany and Switzerland. Steven Holcomb has been one of the stronger performers for the US, winning the US National Championships and taking bronze in the 2-man bobsleigh at the World Championships. Holcomb has been partnered with Curt Tomaseviz and Justin Olson lately, two younger sledders who could take the team into the future. Another favorite to make the team is Todd Hays, who competed in Salt Lake and Torino, and could lend the US veteran experience.

Curling Rocks!!

After suffering a sixty-six year absence from the game, curling re-appeared in the 1998 Games in Nagano. However, it was at the 2006 Games in Torino that the sport became a sleeper hit. There’s just something intriguing about granite stones and brooms on ice, and the strategical nuances that keep the game lively and get people hooked. After snagging surprisingly high ratings on NBC, curling is expected to be a solid ratings-earner for the network.

Torino Results:
Men
Gold: Canada
Silver: Finland
Bronze: United States

Women
Gold: Sweden
Silver: Switzerland
Bronze: Canada



Although the game may seem confusing, the basics are quite simple. Here’s a quick breakdown of the rules and positions.

-Teams consist of four curlers, named for the order in which they play, the lead, second, third, and fourth, who is usually the captain, or skip.
-One round of play is called an end, and most competitive matches consist of ten ends. An end consists of each player from each team throwing two stones. So, if I do my math correctly, each team throws eight stones, and a total of 16 stones are thrown during an end. A curler must deliver the rock before it crosses the “hog” line. Once it’s delivered, two other teammates follow the rock in order to sweep it if necessary. Sweeping is done in order to make the rock travel further or straighter.
-Scoring: After each team has delivered their eight rocks for an end, the rock closest to the button is awarded one point for all of their rocks that are closer than the opponents closest rock. Eight points is the highest that a team can get for an end, but it’s extremely rare. The team with the most points after all ten ends is the victor. Easy right?




The US is expected to make an strong showing at the Games next winter, with 44-year-old Pete Fenson leading the charge for the men. The US Olympic Team Trials are currently going on right now, however they’re only in their early stages. So far the team of Todd Birr, Greg Wilson, Kevin Birr and Paul Pustover are leading the pack. More coverage will come as the competition heats up.

In the meantime, check out this amazing ad for curling for the Wii.

Vancouver: One Year Out

Also, check out this great video about the 2010 Olympics, Vancouver: One Year Out. Get excited!

Back and Better Than Ever...

Apologies for the delay in posts lately. I recently moved to London so I've been adjusting to life across the pond. Things will pick up now though. Expect news and notes from the world of the Winter Olympics, event profiles, and hopefully some interviews with athletes. First up in event profiles is the intense and exciting (no joke) sport of curling. Here's something to hold you over...

5 Things You Need To Know About Vancouver

Before we dive into the athletes and events that will make Vancouver 2010 memorable, let’s take a minute to appreciate the home of the games, Vancouver itself. Here are 5 things you need to know about Vancouver.

1. The Basics: The largest city in British Columbia, Vancouver was settled in the 1860s and survived as a lumber city. Today, it’s one of the nation’s largest industrial centers, depending mainly on the Port of Vancouver, which does more than $43 billion in trade with over 90 countries.

2. The Winter Olympics aren’t the only games taking place in Vancouver. The city is also home to the 2009 World Police and Fire Games, a competition of police and fire figthers from all over the world. They compete in events ranging from 3 on 3 basketball to horseshoes to stair racing.

3. Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the three most livable cities in the world. Although it’s also acknowledged as an incredibly expensive place to live, the quality of life there is fantastic. In 2008, The Economist tapped Vancouver as the world's most livable city, beating out Melbourne, Vienna and Perth.

4. The Olympic Games may cause a problem for the city's homeless population-Vancouver has been struggling recently with skyrocketing homeless rates. The Games will most likely make matters worse, as low income housing providers attempt to updgrade their facilities to attract more tourists. The problem has been an issue for a few years, as evidenced by this article, and one would think that, with the state of the economy today, it will not improve by the start of the games.

5. A few random facts about Vancouver: Vancouver will be the most populous city to host the games, as well as the warmest. Some of the Olympic Venues, such as the Richmond Olympic Arena are located at sea level, something not common for the games. Also, the opening ceremony will be the first ceremony held indoors.

The Olympic Mascots

I love a lot of things about the Olympics. The spirit and passion of the athletes and fans, the convergence of cultures, the media smorgasbord at the games. There’s one part of the Olympics that perplexes me. The Olympic mascots. I understand their purpose, to further express the theme of the Games and create merchandising opportunities. However, sometimes I just don’t get the mascots themselves. They can just be a little…corny. Vancouver’s mascots are no different, walking the line between corny and cute. Inspired by the First Nations, the mascots are as follows.

Miga: a mythical sea bear.
Quatchi: a sasquatch
Sumi: an animal guardian spirit who wears the hat of the orca whale (orca whales have hats?), flies with the wings of the mighty Thunderbird, and runs on the strong furry legs of the black bear. Sumi is the mascot for the paralympic games.
The three are also joined by Mukmuk, a Vancouver island Marmot, who is not an official mascot but acts as Miga, Quatchi and Sumi’s sidekick, cheering them on from the sidelines. This sidekick role is a first for Olympic mascots, and after a brief campaign to have Mukmuk named an official mascot, it appears as if he'll remain on the sidelines.



I guess I just have a hard time adjusting to the overall harmlessness and good intentions of the mascots. I'm used to more edgier suits, like the Phillie Phanatic of the Philadelphia Phillies, or Rowdy of the Dallas Cowboys, mascots that taunt opponents mess around with fans. I suppose that again shows why the Olympics should be placed on a higher level than American professional sports. Even the mascots get it right.