Olympic Winter Games - Sochi

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I enjoy the Winter Olympics far more than the summer ones.
My partner was very involved in several Summer Olympics. The period before the Opening Ceremony was the quietest time news wise, so all the stories related to athlete issues and poor planning by the organisers. Thankfully that mostly passes once the Games begin.
 
Damn, was set up in front of the TV last night to watch Chumpy Pullin and it was postponed until tonight. Will try again tonight.

Did the Aussie aerial guy jump last night??
 
Excellent result :D - missed it :(

SMH said:
The jumper used his moment in the spotlight to call for a water ramp in Australia to help athletes prepare for future events.

‘‘We don’t have one and now we have two Olympic medals - just saying.’’
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Somehow I think you will have after aerial team scores Silver & Bronze
 
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Is anyone else thinking maybe the funding for the Winter Olympics athletes is a bit misdirected? I'm just thinking these athletes just don't have the same sense of discipline that the summer athletes must have. They are doing something they love and if they happen to win a medal, well, thats nice but not their goal?

Just wonder if we need a review of the spending of public monies. I don't like the new culture that's crept in.
 
Have really enjoyed watching the winter Olympics this time, especially some of the more obscure sports which we barely even hear about at home (curling!). Good to see some decent snowfall yesterday, although it was almost too much in some cases!
 
Is it me or have they been a tad disappointing, I know we can hardly expect to top the medals and I am no snow bunny, but to say preparation included no practice???
 
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markis10 said:
Is it me or have they been a tad disappointing, I know we can hardly expect to top the medals and I am no snow bunny, but to say preparation included no practice???
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Thats the issue I was talking about a few posts ago. Representing Australia and doing your best seems very incidental to just having fun on the snow. I'm not a snowboard fan and I think that's the culture I'm not into.
 
First time in a while I have had a chance to post. Just been a tad busy delivering TEN's coverage. The accommodation has been the big fail from the C'tee for these Games. I am sure you will have seen some stories, especially in the mountains with Hotels not finished and mainly the Corporate clients being affected. Mind you, my 800 room brand new Hotel on the coast has not restaurant open for dinner - all have been given over to the Sponsors so the media have to find somewhere else to eat. Not easy when they have built all the Hotels way out of town.

On Monday, Sochi airport (AER) will handle 15,000 departing international pax and 15,000 domestic passengers. Not bad for a small single runway airport that has never handled more a total of 7,500 arrivals/departures in one day. Most of the TEN crew are leaving at 0500 for Moscow and then SQ to Australia. They say we should get to the airport at 1230!!

Overall the Games have been smooth even if there has been too much sun so poor snow conditions until midweek.
 
mel-world said:
First time in a while I have had a chance to post. Just been a tad busy delivering TEN's coverage. The accommodation has been the big fail from the C'tee for these Games. I am sure you will have seen some stories, especially in the mountains with Hotels not finished and mainly the Corporate clients being affected. Mind you, my 800 room brand new Hotel on the coast has not restaurant open for dinner - all have been given over to the Sponsors so the media have to find somewhere else to eat. Not easy when they have built all the Hotels way out of town.

On Monday, Sochi airport (AER) will handle 15,000 departing international pax and 15,000 domestic passengers. Not bad for a small single runway airport that has never handled more a total of 7,500 arrivals/departures in one day. Most of the TEN crew are leaving at 0500 for Moscow and then SQ to Australia. They say we should get to the airport at 1230!!

Overall the Games have been smooth even if there has been too much sun so poor snow conditions until midweek.
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Great to hear from you again. I have enjoyed the coverage, although a little annoying when there's an ad break as a good competitor from another country comes on. I guess that's something no-one can control.
I loved the ski and board events. Particularly slope style and snowboard cross. The footage from the helmet cams was fantastic.
Have a safe trip home :)
 
Pushka said:
Thats the issue I was talking about a few posts ago. Representing Australia and doing your best seems very incidental to just having fun on the snow. I'm not a snowboard fan and I think that's the culture I'm not into.
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Yes, I have been thinking the same thing.
 
Pushka said:
Is anyone else thinking maybe the funding for the Winter Olympics athletes is a bit misdirected? I'm just thinking these athletes just don't have the same sense of discipline that the summer athletes must have. They are doing something they love and if they happen to win a medal, well, thats nice but not their goal?

Just wonder if we need a review of the spending of public monies. I don't like the new culture that's crept in.
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I would hope that public funding of elite athletes is on the premise that it is an investment, ie. it encourages others to take up the sport, and perhaps reduce future health costs to society. With winter olympics, it just seems to encourage me to want to take an overseas holiday. Perhaps funding for some of these sports that can't encourage mass participation should be based like a HECS type loan?
 
gaz0303 said:
I would hope that public funding of elite athletes is on the premise that it is an investment, ie. it encourages others to take up the sport, and perhaps reduce future health costs to society. With winter olympics, it just seems to encourage me to want to take an overseas holiday. Perhaps funding for some of these sports that can't encourage mass participation should be based like a HECS type loan?
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One thing that struck me during an interview with one of competitors in the Skeleton event, was that she was approached by AIS during I think some beach surf live saving or biathlon type event, because she had strong potential for the sport, but she had never even seen snow. Nothing personal against that particular competitor, but do we really need to spend taxpayer money on funding people who have never even heard of the event, to compete in an event like this. It's not as if it's nurturing a talent of someone who has the passion for the sport, nor is it an event that the vast majority of Australians have even heard of. Can't help but think it's all gone too far. By all means fund people to develop their talents in sports that are significant part of our community and culture, but when you have to pluck people of beaches to compete in events they've never heard of, do we really need that?
 
Grrr. The iPhone app keeps crashing every time I try to quote so I'll have to wing it.

I can't imagine the winter games encouraging people to take up those sports. They are pretty expensive, limited to a short season in Australia and pretty much out of the reach of the average Australian.

I think I've posted before about some kind of HECs system so definitely agree about that.

I'm thinking Jana will bob up in Rio :D
 
mel-world said:
If we get good weather, the coverage will be really spectacular; looking at the broadcast plans and the multiple High Speed cameras and specialist cameras planned for the coverage.
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Congrats mel-world, I reckon Ch10 have a done a great job with the coverage. I've spent most my time watching ONE to get to see more sport and less 'fill in'. Only discovered the website later in the piece that had more channels and highlights. I doubt other channels would have covered as much of the events that didn't involve a snowboard, speed skater or figure skater.
 
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