News & Politics - Sports News # 4: Citius, Altius, Fortius - Page 20

**sunnykerr** · 02-05-2014, 07:22 PM

You know, at the Vancouver Olympics, the luge trail (or whatever it's called) drew a lot of criticism that had been handwaved, until Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a practice run, and then safety measures were reviewed.

I feel we're headed to a similar place in Sochi with its slopestyle course:

Quote:

Safety concerns over Sochi slopestyle course intensify

Olympic officials are scrambling to make adjustments to Sochi’s slopestyle course following Norwegian snowboarder Torstein Horgmo’s crash in a practice run.

Horgmo was forced to withdraw from the Olympic Games after fracturing his collarbone on Monday while attempting to do a difficult trick on a rail.

But the “real issue” with the slopestyle course -- which is filled with various types of jumps and rails -- is the height of the course’s jumps, said venue safety expert Steve Adelman.

“Athletes become airborne so high and so long, that landing safely becomes an issue,” Adelman told CTV’s Canada AM on Tuesday.

Adelman said the course’s jumps are currently being adjusted so that “it works that fine balance between being high enough so that people can do their jumps, but not so high that someone gets seriously injured.”

Olympic officials plan to reduce the combined height of the three jumps on the course by a total of 1.82 metres.

When asked about the course, Canadian snowboarder Sebastien Toutant told the Olympic News Service: “It’s like jumping out of a building.”

Organizers are also adjusting the proximity of the ramps and rails at the top of course, following Horgmo’s crash.

While athletes had been complaining about the rails being “sticky,” which led to Horgmo’s crash, Adelman said the rails were “less of a long-standing concern” than the height of the jumps.

Adelman said a lack of snow last February prevented athletes from testing the new course, which is why plans to adjust the rails and jumps are only being made now.

Snowboard slopestyle qualifications begin on Thursday ahead of Friday’s opening Olympic ceremony.

I know Shaun White has drawn a lot of criticism for withdrawing from the event, but I can't say that I blame him.

I know that I can't understand what it's like to compete at that level, but it can't possibly be worth risking life or limb like that.

**GardenSirens** · 02-05-2014, 08:08 PM

Safety is always a concern and winter sports are increasingly dangerous. Sarah Burke and Caleb Moore died last year (and the year before) in public events. I watched Caleb Moore die (well he walked away from having his snowmobile topped over on him and died a week later from it). I'm certainly going into some of these events holding my breath.

**sunnykerr** · 02-06-2014, 06:54 PM

And, of course, we discussed Sarah Burke's death on here as well.

Yes, safety is indeed a concern.

**GardenSirens** · 02-07-2014, 06:40 PM

Watching the first day of competition yesterday, saw a few spills on snowboards and fortunately no injuries; the one looked pretty gnarly.

quaist · 02-08-2014, 03:59 PM

Did any of you watch the opening ceremony? Sunny, I believe you had mentioned planning to before

I didn't actually watch it, but one couldn't miss this picture of a failed depiction of the olympic symbols in the media:

Sochi Olympics: Ring malfunctions at opening ceremony

**GardenSirens** · 02-08-2014, 07:36 PM

I've watched every minute of the Olympics so far and the opening ceremonies were pretty cool despite I really don't like Russian culture. The ring malfunctioned and the internet won't shut up about it, lol. It's like...so what. Much more could have gone wrong like that little girl on that super thin wire could have fell to her death (she fell and broke her arm in training for it). But they got the ring working for later in the show so that was good given it is the most symbolic thing of the games.

**sunnykerr** · 02-08-2014, 08:06 PM

The Internet may not be shutting up about that ring not opening, but it's a bit of a blackeye for the Montreal company who was in charge of the "landscape" aspect of the opening ceremony.

They're hard at work on the Brazilian opening ceremony as we speak, so I'm thinking everyone's worried that it'll be either "these things come in threes" or "third time's the charm."

(It was the same guys who did the Vancouver Opening Ceremony "landscape" work.)

I don't really know what else to call it. It's not really just a stage, is it?

I watched what I could. The station I was watching took a pause in the middle of the ballet portion, which was my favourite bit, so I was peeved.

And, yeah, three medals so far for Canada, two for sisters competing in the same event (moguls)!

**GardenSirens** · 02-08-2014, 08:24 PM

My wife loved the ballet too. USA won the first Gold and I know in that same even Mark McMorris from Canada won Bronze...I've been following his career on the x Games and am so proud to see him in on the big stage!

quaist · 02-09-2014, 05:49 PM

Oh, I didn't know that a Montreal company was in charge... That's too bad, of course

People seem to be pretty spiteful, though. The twitter account @SochiProblems has more than 300,000 followers already and thus a whole third more than the official one.

**sunnykerr** · 02-09-2014, 06:55 PM

Well, to be fair, each and every Olympic Games has its screw-ups.

I don't think you can organize something that large and then expect it to run entirely smoothly.

It's just never going to happen.

But, yeah, apparently Olympic ceremony stuff is something Montreal is gaining expertise in.

I suppose it's a natural evolution. We already had/have an expertise in circus arts (the circus performers from the opening ceremony were also from here) and an expertise in video-game design.

Anyway...

**canflam** · 02-12-2014, 06:27 PM

Have you been enjoying these Olympic Games? I have been. My favorite sport of them is Ice Hockey. Well done by the Canadian ladies to get a tough win vs. team U.S.A. That's 1 sport I do wish would get the women more coverage as Canada has women's hockey leagues, but they don't even have TV contracts, so going to the game is the only way to see most of them unless it's at the Olympics or on their National team I guess. That's too bad as their are soccer & basketball women's pro leagues, but no hockey.

**sunnykerr** · 02-12-2014, 07:17 PM

I can't really handle the Olympics, to be honest.

It's not so bad with Sochi since, by the time I get home, the day's results are in and so you already know who lost and who won.

But it's so stressful.

So I wind up not really watching.

But I did hear about the bit of history that was made either today or yesterday when two women skiiers tied for gold in downhill. They clocked the exact same time.

Now that's interesting, isn't it?

And I'm glad to hear the Canadian women beat the U.S. team at hockey.

We are winter, indeed.

quaist · 02-14-2014, 04:47 PM

I'm not that much of a sports buff, so I don't really watch much of it.

Incidentally though, I saw a bit of the ice hockey game Canada vs. Austria today. Of course, Canada won

**canflam** · 02-14-2014, 05:39 PM

Do you make exceptions for the Olympics? Need help thinking of a new thread title.


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