Skeleton

[JTMacc99]

[PrincessPurrsALot]

The announcers know their stuff.  I have definitely learned the difference in styles of European (especially Australian and German) versus sliders from other countries.  But dang, they prattle on and on.  There are so many times when they are simply talking on about something else rather than the person on the sled.  Also so many times that they will say someone made a huge mistake  - cue Gob Bluth:

Then the person gets an incredible score.  The tricky thing in this sport at this level is everyone is so good the time differences are in the hundreths of a second. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

The announcers are doing a better job in the men's event.  The women's was yap-yap-yap.  In the men's the commentary is matching what the slider is doing.  Also, there is more separation among the times. 

So happy for the slider form American Samoa making it into the top twenty.  That is a great finish for him.  He did keep his suit on for the event.  Guess he wasn't allowed to be shirtless and oiled up. 

[Bill1978]

Just like how our Mixed Doubles Curlers made everybody in Australia experts in Curling, at the moment lots of Aussies are brushing up on the Skeleton, thanks to our female competitor being in first place half way through the runs.. Except for our broadcasters, they are still too focussed (obsessed) with Snowboarding.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Bill1978

[galaxygirl76]

The netherlands won its second non skating medal ever! After snowboard gold in Vancouver now a bronze in the ladies skeleton. 

Edited February 12, 2022 by galaxygirl76

[Guest]

And Jaclyn Narracott of Australia won the first ever skeleton Olympic medal from outside Europe and North America!

[Bill1978]

4 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

And Jaclyn Narracott of Australia won the first ever skeleton Olympic medal from outside Europe and North America!

It's also out first ever medal in a sliding event. And our first medal in what I call 'traditional' Winter Olympic sports since the bronze in Nagano. Most of our medals come from the new sports created and added to the Olympic program - like freestyle skiing or snowboarding.

I stayed up until 2am local time to watch the historic occasion. It was so nerve wrecking watching her final run. Knowing that anything can happen in this sport, I wasn't taking for granted she would medal. But she did and her response after crossing the finishing line is what the Olympics are about. And I live for my nation getting surprise medals like this one or our Gold in the Modern Pentathlon in Rio. I also like that in a way, the silver in Skeleton is a slap in the face to our broadcaster who decided the only sport worthy of hyping to death for medals at the Winter Olympics is Snowboard. 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Bill1978

[legaleagle53]

3 hours ago, Bill1978 said:

It's also out first ever medal in a sliding event. And our first medal in what I call 'traditional' Winter Olympic sports since the bronze in Nagano. Most of our medals come from the new sports created and added to the Olympic program - like freestyle skiing or snowboarding.

Did you forget about the gold medal in Short-Track Speed Skating in Salt Lake City in 2002 when everyone except for Stephen Bradbury crashed out? He had been dead last up until the mass wipeout, and I still remember vividly his "What the fuck just happened?" expression when he alone crossed the finish line in an upright position.

Edited February 13, 2022 by legaleagle53

[Bill1978]

Just now, legaleagle53 said:

Did you forget about the gold medal in Speed Skating in Salt Lake City in 2002 when everyone except for Stephen Bradbury crashed out? He had been dead last up until the mass wipeout, and I still remember vividly his "What the fuck just happened?" expression when he alone crossed the finish line in an upright position.

How could I forget that glorious moment in Australian Olympic history. I mean we even refer to achieving success cause everyone else stuffed up as 'Doing a Bradbury'. I watch that once at least once a year for inspiration haha.

I consider Short Track Speed Skating a 'new' sport within the Winter Olympics. Since it only appeared officially at the Olympics in 1992. 'Traditional' Winter Sports to me are those that have been around since the start of the Olympics.

[nittany cougar]

This sport is insane. It's unbelievable seeing people go headfirst down an ice track at such high speed. I hold my breath every time watching the athletes go down the track.  This is the first time that I've really watched this sport.  It looks very hard to control the sled. 

I do see the athletes using their feet to maneuver to some degree, but it always looks like they can hit the wall at any moment. 

According to this article, skeleton has been banned from the Olympics twice.  You can also see a view of what it looks like going down the track.  

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/530895/no-bones-about-it-see-how-terrifying-sport-skeleton-can-

Edited February 13, 2022 by nittany cougar

[appositival]

On 2/13/2022 at 12:44 PM, nittany cougar said:

It's unbelievable seeing people go headfirst down an ice track at such high speed.

I think the next iteration of the "lie flat and try not to die" series of games, is the one where you go down head-first, lying on your back and looking at everything upside-down. I believe it is called "Suicide".