The Start of the XXI Winter Olympic Games

I did not actually see the opening of the Olympics, but I'd heard about the luger from Georgia (not the state) who died, Nodar Kumaritashvili. It took a little hunting to find a video of the crash, but I did. I found it quite disturbing. These accidents happen very fast, but this seemed even faster than I imagined. The CLANG! of the helmet hitting the unpadded pole was appalling. The accident was quite horrible.

In 2006 I had only posted twice about the Olympics, surprisingly enough. But I did mention that guys sledding on a tiny fiber glass sled that barely fits the racer's body is just a little insane. It is more than just a little insane, really. And Ray remembered that I had said that I would have loved to be an EMT at the Winter Games - the accidents that could happen on luge or skeleton races would be really something. So he told me about the luge accident. Apparently it was aired at some point, because he heard and saw the clang... and there was no mistaking what had happened.

I did post here: http://traislinge.blogspot.com/2006/02/let-insanity-continue-more-of-xx.html and glossed over some of the events but I am feeling quite confident I can get a lot more mileage this year. For one thing, this is a constant source of amazement. These athletes are incredible, fascinating, disquieting, crazy as hell and dedicated to the gold, silver or bronze medals that are up for grabs! You have to admire anyone who can get that far, for one thing!

Luge is amazing, and I have always watched it. It's been 46 years since there has been a luge fatality. That is a lot longer than I'd have thought for an event as dangerous as luge (assume that when I talk about the dangerousness of this, that skeleton runs are inclusive. That is a little crazy, too...), where the rider is atop (no straps) a teeny fiber glass sled with long, sharp blades and moving at speeds over 80 miles an hour. The Whistler Track where the Vancouver Games are taking place was quite a bit faster - over 90 miles an hour - as if 85 miles an hour isn't fast enough!

(I just watched the first speed skating long race where the Canadian favourite was right in front - right there! He did not leave any openings for the guys behind him. He's very, very good. Of course, I saw the Qualifying Short Race and Apolo Ohno, who really is quite the amazing speed skater! I saw him in both the Salt Lake City races for the 2002 Olympics, and again at the Turin Games in 2006. He is not attractive (who cares, right) but he is a HELLACIOUS skater! And watching him now in the long race, I have every confidence he will not stay in third place - no, there he goes! YES! No - Lee is in front... There goes Apolo again! Shit! Korea came in first, second, third - HOLY COW! Two Koreans went down right ahead of Apolo and he came in SECOND! Seconds before the line!)

In case you are wondering, I'm watching the games from Saturday night. I had recorded every thing that has aired. Saturday night and all day Sunday I was on call and I was confident I would not be able to watch it. So I have the two TiVOs gasping for breath recording every bit of the Olympics. Apolo won the SILVER! And he has won 6 total medals and tied Bonnie Blair! Wow. I saw Bonnie Blair - when I was 20 years old - at the Calgary Olympics in 1988 - and the following two Winter Games - in Albertville, France and Lillehammer, Norway. Amazing! But Apolo Ohno - wow! He's really something else!

I have watched all of it so far - opening with the short mens' speed skating - that third race with Apolo Ohno was so exciting! He started out last, casually moved up to the fifth position, then stayed there until the last 4 laps. In a few seconds, he whipped forward on the outside turn into the first slot and was WAAAAY ahead of the pack when he easily crossed the line.

(Now I'm watching the Czech Republic's Nicola Sudova (from Jablonec Nad Nisou) on the Women's Mogul (skiing) and she looked good but has an injury - and landed poorly on the finishing jump. This is dedication - but at what price? She's had to have made it worse... She has an ACL tear - a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. I had a torn meniscus in my right knee that needed surgery and as whimpy as I am, it was a relief to have the surgery. That hurt like hell. Landing on it on skies with all of my weight would have left me curled in a ball whimpering. I don't know how they do it.

I have a special place in my heart for the Czech Republic, so I was disappointed to see the athlete Nicola land like that. I'd love to see Czech Republic take home the gold!)

Speed skaters are a constant source of amazement. I watch all of the skating events - the speed skating is incredible for the sheer speed (of course) and the ease that the skaters have. Gods know I couldn't do it, but they make it look so effortless, just casually skating with their hands behind their backs, la, la, laaaalaaaaalaaaaaa... then the clock is ticking and the laps are just disappearing and WHAM! they throw it into gear and zip, zip, zip along the ice, the left hands sliding easily along the ice with the tipped gloves.

Ice skaters come in different classes and styles. Couples skating is interesting, as they need to be in sync and that just cannot be easy. There's figure skating and pairs skating. Both are equally fascinating to watch, although I usually like the single skaters more. And it is nothing like speed skating. The body types, skates and outfits are completely different.

(The Canadian Chloe Dufour-LaPointe just finished her run for the Women's Mogul and WOW! She did a tremendous run - kept her ankles together and really raced down that hill!)

Speed skaters are huge - not fat - not even an ounce - but lean trim upper bodies and huge thighs, butts and hips. They are all muscle, but they have a very odd-looking physiques. The muscles in their legs do all the work, and it is, despite the easy look of it, hard work. Figure skaters look like gymnasts in cute little outfits, evenly muscled, no extreme behinds and upper legs.

Speed skaters have 18" - 24" inch blades, sharpened to a gleam, and the speed skaters wear special gloves on the left hand for when they take the turn. They all wear skin-tight uniforms for maximum speed. One of the U.S. speed skaters, J.R. Celski, had a really horrendous accident in September 2009, so bad he had 60 stitches from a gash made by his own skate (remember that description of the skates? No mystery how he got such a huge gash) and now he's racing in the Olympics - and he's one to watch. Right there with Apolo.

Figure skaters can get injured by their skates (although pair skaters are more likely to see that kind of injury) but their skates are not nearly as long, sharp and dangerous as speed skaters' blades.

Back to luge - the Swiss guy I'd heard about just ran - came off the sled and then came out of the second turn after and was on again! The commentator was right - forget the time! This guy survived the run and held onto his sled. The blades of the sled are a huge danger to the rider if he's come off.

These guys really are crazy!

Well, definitely an exciting start to the XXI Winter Olympics!