The Medal Race

[JTMacc99]

Your Medal Race topic!

[HartofDixie]

Current medal table

https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/medal-standings.htm

[MaryMitch]

I saw this on Facebook - I did not realize the bouquets the medal winners are receiving are hand-knit:

 

Quote

At first glance, what you might notice are the winning smiles and shiny medals, but if you focus in on those pretty bouquets you'll see months of dedication by volunteers who crocheted each precious bloom and leaf by hand.

This handmade arrangement of botanicals is known as 'The Shanghai Bouquet' with cultural significance that dates back to the mid-19th century and includes six varieties- Lily of the Valley, Rugosa Rose, Hydrangea, Laurel, Sweet Osmanthus, and an Olive Branch representing perseverance, happiness, unity, victory, bounty and peace.

To complete one crocheted bouquet requires tedious work by hand and a minimum of 32 hours, with a total of 1,251 bouquets needed to honor all the medal winners at the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

More than just a token handout at the Beijing Winter Olympics, The Shanghai Bouquet doesn't drop its petals and wins praise for engaging in the idea of sustainability.

 

[AimingforYoko]

I believe I first asked this question in 1994: How come Norway does so much better in The Winter Games than Sweden? Culture? Gov't investment? Blessed by Odin? What?

[blackwing]

14 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

I believe I first asked this question in 1994: How come Norway does so much better in The Winter Games than Sweden? Culture? Gov't investment? Blessed by Odin? What?

I want to say I think Norway is a richer country than Sweden so can spend more money on things like ski schools which increases interest and skill from an early age.  And I really do think a lot of their culture is based around cross country skiing, which seems to be where Norway gets a lot of its medals.  I think everyone skis in Norway.  I have this image of people skiing to the store to pick up a few things instead of taking a car.  Not sure if it's true or not, but that's the image I have.

I've been wondering for years why Canada doesn't have better alpine and cross country skiers and biathletes.  There's enough snow and culture based on winter sport, why aren't they more successful?  Probably the same reason why Sweden and Finland aren't as successful as we would think as well?

[absnow54]

14 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

I believe I first asked this question in 1994: How come Norway does so much better in The Winter Games than Sweden? Culture? Gov't investment? Blessed by Odin? What?

Interestingly enough, NPR asked this same question this morning. 

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I want to say I think Norway is a richer country than Sweden so can spend more money on things like ski schools which increases interest and skill from an early age.  And I really do think a lot of their culture is based around cross country skiing, which seems to be where Norway gets a lot of its medals.  I think everyone skis in Norway.  I have this image of people skiing to the store to pick up a few things instead of taking a car.  Not sure if it's true or not, but that's the image I have.

I've been wondering for years why Canada doesn't have better alpine and cross country skiers and biathletes.  There's enough snow and culture based on winter sport, why aren't they more successful?  Probably the same reason why Sweden and Finland aren't as successful as we would think as well?

I've been to Norway in the winter.  It is true, a lot of people use cross country skis to get around town.  You see a  people skiing while pulling little sleds filled with groceries and/or toddlers and whole families out and about on skis.  It is just a part of life, no one thinks a thing about it.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Rootbeer

[Daisy]

On 2/16/2022 at 10:41 AM, blackwing said:

I've been wondering for years why Canada doesn't have better alpine and cross country skiers and biathletes.  There's enough snow and culture based on winter sport, why aren't they more successful?  Probably the same reason why Sweden and Finland aren't as successful as we would think as well?

it's crazy. I am like we have a LOT OF FLAT LAND! how do we not at least have stronger Cross Country Skiiers?!  but i think because here everything about our sporting identity is about hockey  that's what people gravitate towards. Like with Netherlands, it's all about speedskating because skating together as a family, the frozen canals etc. (which always sounds so great). here it's playing road hockey (and if you are lucky/rich) - building backyard hockey rinks etc.

this is weird. This is Canada's 2nd best Olympics but most of the medals won were bronze.
1 of 4 Curling Medals. (not good)

Since Canada refuses to build a proper national Hockey team on the men side not surprised they didn't medal - Sweden/Finland never misses a beat because they don't just abandon their national programmes because of the NHL/KHL. 

0 Skating Medals at all (baring the decision of team figure skating) - and the future does not look bright there which has me majorly concerned. 

Decent results on short/long track.

a lot of questions of where exactly is the funding from Own the Podium is going (since the skeleton athletes legit had to fund their entire season and didn't have proper access to coaching, Kallie Humphries leaving the programme and sliding for the USA due to shady behaviour from coaching staff and no real indication that they made better strides for the safety of  the athletes)

no repeat gold medalists for Canada (though one still medaled). 

but the other events where we do do well. we still did well. (Half Pipe, Skii Cross, snowboard, and we still look good in the future there). a few mutii-podiums, which is great. if some of these bronzes translate to silver/golds in Italy in 4 years then that' a really good thing 

but it's very evident that the afterglow of Vancouver 2010. is completely spent for winter athletes. The summer athletes at least have the afterglow of Toronto hosting the pan-am games. A lot of the athletes from 2010 are 30-35ish and are retiring (or now with different countries). like i said there are SIGNIFICANT questions where the is going from OTP etc....there is also the thing, these games (like Tokyo) was impacted by Covid so who knows how that did with the training and preparation.

but Canada did their best so I am proud of them.

[legaleagle53]

The US finished 5th in the overall medal count behind the ROC, BUT we won more GOLD medals than they did, so there's that.

Bring on the Paralympics!

[Rickster]

On 2/16/2022 at 10:42 AM, absnow54 said:

Interestingly enough, NPR asked this same question this morning. 

As did the New York Times (might be paywalled). 

What’s Norway’s Secret?