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Bring it on:
Friday 11.30 am BBC. (although I think there is some curling on Thursday evening).
I love the 'preview' that the beeb have made.
Also will be interesting how the snow sports get on with the made made stuff.
Edit ; Curling starts today.
I realise that these events, and this one in particular are murky with political and social issues, but whilst it's on I need to put all that aside because sport is sport and I bloody love it.
Can't wait. WFH so should be able to catch plenty of it.
Excellent little film here about how they made the BBC Winter Olympics ident
https://twitter.com/JamesPLCross/status/1485950687523614720
Have a friend competing, so will be watching his events. Ok, and most of the XC skiing too. And biathlon.
Is the BBC coverage going to be a nightmare again, limited to events GB are involved in?
I realise that these events, and this one in particular are murky with political and social issues, but whilst it’s on I need to put all that aside
I've got to be honest and say that this is the first time I've thought to myself "should I put all that aside?"
No need to wait until tomorrow evening. GB v Sweden curling starts in 5 mins (1205 Weds)
I’ve got to be honest and say that this is the first time I’ve thought to myself “should I put all that aside?”
Same here. Not just for political reasons, the environmental lunacy of the whole endeavour is the sort of thing I think the world will look back on in the not-too-distant future and wonder what the hell we were doing.
Good chance for a bit of practice ahead of the Qatar world cup!
I’ve got to be honest and say that this is the first time I’ve thought to myself “should I put all that aside?”
To what end?
I do want to support international sport because I think it's a fantastic thing to have.
TBH what we need is some sort of representation in how the games are allocated to the hosts. That would be fun but pretty fraught!
the environmental lunacy of the whole endeavour
But then compare that with what goes on every normal day of the year everywhere else?
the environmental lunacy of the whole endeavour is the sort of thing I think the world will look back on in the not-too-distant future and wonder what the hell we were doing.
Yup... The idea of a "winter" Olympics taking place on fake snow seems a little ironic to me.
The other problem is hosting any Olympics or international sporting event and the huge costs (losses?) involved, it means the only ones willing to host are those with dodgy credentials looking to enhance their image on the world stage. As such, you can't really separate sport from politics.
That’s making of was amazing. I can’t believe they made so much stuff for it. I assumed it was all cgi and done on the computer theses days
No need to wait until tomorrow evening. GB v Sweden curling starts in 5 mins (1205 Weds)
No you're alright, I'll wait until tomorrow thanks... 😉
But then compare that with what goes on every normal day of the year everywhere else?
I don't think that should be used as an excuse to normalise what has gone on to make these Games happen.
I do want to support international sport because I think it’s a fantastic thing to have.
Was also what supporters of apartheid said about the various sports boycotts of SA.
😉
To what end?
I know, I know.
I do want to support international sport because I think it’s a fantastic thing to have.
I agree, I do to. But what about international sport where it's hosted, in no small part, in order to legitimise an otherwise morally-ropey regime? Is my support not then (in an infinitesimally small way, admittedly) giving it that legitimacy it does not deserve?
And the questions are aimed as much as me as anyone else...
it means the only ones willing to host are those with dodgy credentials looking to enhance their image on the world stage.
This is the problem - at the moment most big sporting events seem to be located with sports-washing for dictatorships/oligarchies as the main priority.
Europa cup final between two English football teams in Baku makes perfect sense in all sorts of ways right? I mean it's only 59 hours without stopping to drive or complex connecting flights to make it 2500 miles to somewhere east of Baghdad for a European cup final.
Call my a cynic but I found Eileen Gu switching to China for these Olympics a bit sinister also. Someone born and raised and has competed for the USA suddenly decides to switch just before an Olympics in Beijing. How much financial or other pressure has been applied there?
Ah, was wondering when a thread would appear for the Genocide Games....
But what about international sport where it’s hosted, in no small part, in order to legitimise an otherwise morally-ropey regime?
I’m boycotting it, like I try to boycott any of that countries produce, which is nigh on impossible.
If you think China are wronguns then think before you buy.
I know my actions won’t make a blind bit of difference but it makes me feel better. 🥸
Plus, I’m only really interested in the hockey & there’s no NHL players rostered cos the NHL have boycotted the games too, apart from Eric Staal who’s a free agent. Correct me if I’m wrong though.
Pretty much only interested in the ski/boardercross, and DH ski.
The specifics of these games has passed me by. Anyone got a link or brief description for what is so bad over and above general objections to China's actions on the world stage?
Well, there's this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59595952
Genocide's pretty bad, right?
BBC 'Free spirits' on iPlayer (BBC3 9.10pm tonight) is good.
I too try not to buy items from China, but it's difficult, as so much still comes from there.
The British athletes who are out there will get my support, but it is a minefield regarding the politics.
The other week my son said that he could go to the world student games as he'd met the qualification standard. Where are they? China. How often are they? Every two years. Where's the next one? Russia!
but it is a minefield regarding the politics.
I don't think the politics are a minefield in this case, tbh - the ruling party/regime in China is fairly universally accepted to be pretty horrible, and don't seem to be on any kind of trajectory to be getting any better (the opposite, if anything).
Jamaica have qualified for the bobsleigh for the first time since 1998😁
Clever opening scenes. Is the floor of the stadium a massive TV screen?
Well, there’s this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59595952
Genocide’s pretty bad, right?
I think so, yes. I listened to some podcasts about this last year and there's a wealth of information and photos of those re-education camps. &*()ing horrendoous.
Jamaica have qualified for the bobsleigh for the first time since 1998
Oh, tonight I need to watch Cool Runnins' again. Best. Film. Eva.
Don't know if its just me(unlikely) but the whole Olympic thing now no longer feels Olympicy.
Don’t know if its just me(unlikely) but the whole Olympic thing now no longer feels Olympicy.
Free Spirits on the iPlayer is worth a watch, especially if like me you grew up on the dry slope! Shows some of what goes into chasing Olympic dreams in sports we aren’t already good at in the UK (e.g. not cycling rowing etc).
Actually got a little dusty thinking about how much I loved skiing as a kid/teen. It lost its gloss as an adult with the cost and eco impacts, and the olympics in China really turns me off it- I don’t think that regime respect any of the values of sport- it’s just a power game for them.
Just can't get past the china part.
Removing history of mowing their own kin down with tanks and washing the blood down the sewers.
I love the winter games but Russia cheating and now china blatantly just not giving a toss regarding human rights.
I wish the teams well
The specifics of these games has passed me by. Anyone got a link or brief description for what is so bad over and above general objections to China’s actions on the world stage?
Chinese officials are shoving foreign reporters around while they’re in the middle of a broadcast, stopping them doing their job of reporting on the Games!
Can’t find the article now, maybe it’s been taken down at the insistence of the Chinese government, because it’s seen as defamatory…
What are the BBC doing? Just watched the day one highlights and Im not sure why I bothered as I didn’t see much sport. Most of it seemed to be taken up with chitty chat with some has been. Im not interested in the views of the has been. I want to watch the sport
Good luck to the teams but I will not be watching. There is little I can do in terms of global politics but boycotting counties where I don’t support the policies is something I can do.
+1 on not watching is time round. I love skiing, but not watching is a small thing I can do to show some tiny flicker of solidarity with people on the receiving end of China’s repugnant behaviour.
can do to show some tiny flicker of solidarity with people on the receiving end of China’s repugnant behaviour.
i think that massively overstates the impact of even a million people not watching.
We are watching, but I absolutely detest buying stuff from China, aside from the dreadful human rights issues (where the hell is that tennis player?), the environmental cost is huge.
Well, I now have a friend that is both a world record holder and an olympic gold medalist in speed skating. Hopefully he'll be able to get the 10,000m gold as well.
He will, of course, be insufferable now. Bastard.
but I absolutely detest buying stuff from China, aside from the dreadful human rights issues (where the hell is that tennis player?), the environmental cost is huge.
Try acquiring face masks/PPE or test kits that don't come from China.
Makes you wonder.
Found an article about the incident with the reporter:
, the environmental cost is huge.
the environmental cost of any international sport his huge. As soon as it involves people travelling to compete or spectate the impact goes off the scale. At least they are reusing some of the venues built for the summer games
Given that all overseas spectators are effectively banned, the environmental costs of these games probably not as bad as a ‘regular’ winter games.
Watching the sport on Eurosport / Discovery+ app - you just get the sport and commentary without the chit-chat.
The mixed relay biathlon had a pretty dramatic finish yesterday.
Ed Leigh , getting super excited " she's as loose as village golfbag "
Looks like the Chinese Olympic committee couldn’t run a piss-up in a brewery!
I shan’t watch these nor the World Cup. 2 of the greatest sporting events in the world being put on by 2 countries with some of the worst records on human rights. It’s a tiny little boycott that won’t make a jot of difference but at least I’ll feel better about it. If I was an athlete I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to go..
” she’s as loose as village golfbag ”
"Fell apart like a dropped lego-man" 😄
Anyone else struggle with a winter Olympics on all fake snow.
For me, winter Olympics are mountains and proper snow and ice.
Seeing as most of the GB entrants (who haven't been passported in from snowier places) learned on plastic hills I think we have to accept fake snow is OK from a sporting perspective.
Anyone else struggle with a winter Olympics on all fake snow.
For me, winter Olympics are mountains and proper snow and ice.
And while were at it, can we make sure we only use those naturally occuring 400mm red rubber circuits, 90 cm hurdles and banked wooden bicycle tracks when we get to Paris in a few years....!?
Anyone else struggle with a winter Olympics on all fake snow.
I struggle with the Winter Olympics as a thing really...How many different ways of sliding can you realistically hand out a medal for?
Ed Leigh , getting super excited ” she’s as loose as village golfbag "
He used to commentate on freestyle Mx with Rob Warner so has a similar turn of phrase
How many different ways of sliding can you realistically hand out a medal for?
For me it's the fact that so many of the sports are open to the interpretation of judges. Even the ski jumping where you would think longest jump wins the jumpers get marked for their style and landing.
Faster, higher, longer, closer, etc.
Anyone else struggle with a winter Olympics on all fake snow.
I'm with you. It seems very sad that most of the places winter Olympics have been held in the last would now not be viable venues. Topping up with fake snow is one thing but when it's the only snow it seems a bit tragic.
I normally love the winter Olympics but combine the fake snow with all the human rights/sports-washing stuff it's leaving me cold this time (pun intended 🙂 ).
Biathlon is amazing. Very amazing.
I struggle with the Winter Olympics as a thing really…How many different ways of sliding can you realistically hand out a medal for?
It’s not like the summer games don’t have umpteen medals for crossing the ground quickly is it!
Alpin I don’t really like “judged” sports either. But that not unique to the winter games - the summer games has its fair share of both aesthetic sports and the martial art type stuff that is subjective. I do think for TV audiences the sports need to be easy to watch and understand who won and why!
Personally I think the winter games should add some non snow/ice sports that are typically pursued in winter - cross country running, CX etc?
It's not 'fake' snow, it's artificial snow. Fake snow would have properties that are different to real snow. I agree that artificial snow isn't powder snow, but for the kind of snow racers want, it's as good as the real stuff.
Biathlon is amazing. Very amazing.
Agree, I'm watching it now. I'd love to have a go at it. Also, you could easily do an MTB version where you have an air pistol in your Camelbak. Someone organise this please.
It seems very sad that most of the places winter Olympics have been held in the last would now not be viable venues. Topping up with fake snow is one thing but when it’s the only snow it seems a bit tragic.
It's not just unfortunate though - apparently that part of China is generally arid, and even though it's cold it only gets 8" of snow a year on average anyway.
It's a bit like awarding this year's world cup to a desert nation which then has to build air-conditioned stadia.
Part of the interest in the winter games is the alpine atmosphere around the venue, there's something deeply soulless about this one.
for the kind of snow racers want, it’s as good as the real stuff.
Reductio and absurdum perhaps but how far off are we from competitors being able to wear some kind of kinetic suit/VR goggles and all just compete virtually? Would that be just as good?
It’s a bit like awarding this year’s world cup to a desert nation which then has to build air-conditioned stadia.
Indeed. It's all just part of an increasingly jarring divorce from nature/environment that we seem to be running headlong towards. I'm not into it at all.
If you're going to create virtual worlds why bother with traditional sports? You could do anything. And they do - it's called e-sports.
Not sure whether this thread is just to bitch about some of the pointlessness (I agree), the validity of 'judged' competition (I agree) or the questionable morals and ethics of the Chinese government (I agree), but I really liked this regarding the Kiwi lass on the snowboard...
Sadowski-Synnott’s father has been a continuing source of amusement in his reaction, having told the website Stuff that, in her bid for gold, his daughter made many sacrifices. “Zoi sacrificed doing the dishes, mowing the lawns, cleaning her room and getting the vacuum out, she sacrificed all of those things,” he said.
but for the kind of snow racers want
Having raced on both IMHO the real stuff is far, far more preferable to the fake. Fake is hard & doesn't have the feel that the real has. It's hard to explain exactly the difference but if you were on a course that had a mix it was difficult to setup your skis for & quite unnerving when different things started happening midturn/tuck!
biased obviously as I like cycling, but I found the virtual TdF races on zwift more exciting than some of the garbage that passes for competitive sport in the Winter Olympics 😃Reductio and absurdum perhaps but how far off are we from competitors being able to wear some kind of kinetic suit/VR goggles and all just compete virtually? Would that be just as good?
Sadowski-Synnott’s father has been a continuing source of amusement in his reaction, having told the website Stuff that, in her bid for gold, his daughter made many sacrifices. “Zoi sacrificed doing the dishes, mowing the lawns, cleaning her room and getting the vacuum out, she sacrificed all of those things,” he said.
I hadn't heard this or read it anywhere until now. Fantastic! 🙂
there’s something deeply soulless about this one.
There's something deeply soulless about China. Spent a while there in the 90s and I think this accurately describes what it felt like, although it was really fascinating in an "everything is totally alien" way. The fabricated history and oppressive atmosphere is reflected in their hosting of events.
How many different ways of sliding can you realistically hand out a medal for?
Where as in the summer games we have loads of ways for giving out medals for running round a man made circle different numbers of times. Or how many different strokes and number of lengths you can swim very quickly.
All sport is contrived
Yeah it's ridiculous. It'll all change when I'm in charge.... one medal for running, one for jumping, one for hoofing something, etc. No swimming. It'll all be over in an afternoon, like sports day. 😃Where as in the summer games we have loads of ways for giving out medals for running round a man made circle different numbers of times. Or how many different strokes and number of lengths you can swim very quickly.
There’s something deeply soulless about China.
Maybe with the modern experience but China has a massive history that infuses the modern country so you could call that a soul, if a nation were to have one.
Topping up with fake snow is one thing but when it’s the only snow it seems a bit tragic.
This is what I meant.
Somewhere that has snow that needs topping up is fine, see pretty much every ski resort in Europe below 2000m. But having to make it all from scratch in a place that doesn't normally have snow just doesn't work.
Whilst I agree that it should be held in proper ski covered mountains, the Olympics is a world event that not many countries can afford to host. China, despite everything, should have the opportunity and so far the artificial snow doesn't seem to be a big issue. So I'm just enjoying the spectacle and really looking forward to the ski cross!
"There’s something deeply soulless about China."
Maybe with the modern experience but China has a massive history that infuses the modern country so you could call that a soul, if a nation were to have one.
Whilst we know there's a history, like their alpine sport credentials there's nothing authentic there, its all fake reinterpretation and propaganda.
We've all been places that you could say have soul, South America, Africa, where it feels authentic. Someone said to me if you want authentic China you have to go to Taiwan.
but China has a massive history that infuses the modern country
Sure, but The CCP can't be relied upon to be honest about its own past, let alone the vast history beyond the last 100 years or so their existence.
All sport is contrived
T'was just a joke.
Whilst we know there’s a history, like their alpine sport credentials there’s nothing authentic there, its all fake reinterpretation and propaganda.
All of it? I'm not talking about visiting tourist attractions, I'm talking about books and stuff.
^^^ The thing I really like about skiing is getting out into that fresh mountain air...
Is that real alpin? Jeez that's depressing.
I spent some time with some Chinese tourists in Nepal and, well... the group conformity and sort of shallow, tokenistic consumption of 'culture' that most of them saw as normal was pretty unsettling to me.
Not that we are any better I suppose, just different.
^^ is that real?
All of it? I’m not talking about visiting tourist attractions, I’m talking about books and stuff.
I assure you I wasn't a conventional tourist. The books that the Party allow you to read.... I struggle to believe anything I see or hear about China. Amusingly/scarily, did you see their re-realisation of Fight Club!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-60285068