Hello again everybody,
I intended to do a lot more pre-games updates, but I got really busy. I will also be busy during the games, but I intend to do my utmost to update this everyday. Today is DAY 1. On the menu for today, Women's Moguls qualifiers, the brand new figure skating team event starts the short programs, and the Men and Women's Snowboard Slopestyle qualifiers. And then, of course, tomorrow is the Opening Ceremony. I thought it was tonight, but I was sadly mistaken.
Ok in terms of watching these Olympics, important information. Everyday, you can watch all of the events live on nbcolympics.com as long as you have a television package that qualifies you to be able to get the actual NBC channels that the Olympics will be shown on, that is MSNBC and CNBC, USA and the NBC Sports Network starting Feb 8th. This is all live and starts at 3 AM everyday. The NBC primetime begins at 7pm CST. The rest of the daytime tv events will be split with MSNBC, CNBC, and USA and NBCSN will continue their live coverage everyday starting Feb 8th at 3AM
So just to explain the new Team Figure Skating event, each country competing has four components: a Men's Singles competitor, a Women's Singles competitor, a Pair's Team, and an Ice Dancing Team. The US, Canada, and Russia are the most likely contenders for medaling in this event. The benefit of this event for the athletes that participate is that they really get a chance to get a feel for competing at the Olympics before moving on to their individual events. The US has selected Pair's Abbott and Castelli and Men's Jeremy Abbott to compete in the team with the Ice Dancing likely to got to Meryl Davis and Charlie White (I love them) and the women's likely to be split with controversial Olympian Ashley Wagner skating the short program and Gracie Gold most likely skating the free skate. In case you missed why Ashley Wagner is a controversial choice, she places 4th at the US championships behind Mirai Nigasu, but was selected to the team over her due to her body of work in the past four years.
Also, not current but you should definitely all watch Jason Brown's US Championships Free Skate. It's fantastic and he is also a local boy from Highland Park, IL.
Shaun White injured himself during training runs on the Slopestyle course and decided to pull out of that event to concentrate on the halfpipe compeition. It sucks that he is leaving an open spot that someone else could have taken, but I understand the impulse to protect his best event.
Hannah Kearney is already on her way to defending her Vancouver Gold with a first place finish in the Women' Moguls qualifiers.
Ok, I will update more later, but for now, the figure skating team event starts and the Men's Short Program is first up followed by the Pairs.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Welcome to Sochi!
Hello fellow Olympiphiles,
I am back for another session of covering the Olympic Games. This time the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Now there has already been tons of controversy over these games due to Russia's stance on many topics and other reasons, but I am not going to go into those, because for me that is not what the Olympics are about. Granted, I agree with many who wanted to boycott Sochi over their policy on Homosexuality, but this is one big machine that can not be stopped quite so easily. I hope those athletes who are gay trumpet it loud and proud in the faces of the Russian government. Also, the US State Department has issued warnings to any citizens wishing to travel to Sochi to see the Olympic games due to the recent terrorist attacks that have occurred near that area. Hopefully these games will be as safe and uneventful in that respect as recent games have been. Anyways, politics aside, here is the news leading up to these Olympic games.
Lindsey Vonn is out. Lindsey Vonn who has had massive problems with her knees over the last few years has been forced to withdraw from these Olympics after injuring herself yet again only a couple weeks ago.
Lolo Jones is close to clinching a spot on the 2014 team. How? you might say, since she was a hurdler in the Summer Olympics. Lolo gave up track and field and has been training since the last Olympics to be a pusher on the Bobsled team. There are 5 pushers up for 3 slots on the team and its up to the coaches discretion who will be picked. There is likely to be controversy either way since many view Lolo as a spotlight hog and that they will only pick her for the publicity, but I think if she has put in her time and proved herself then she should be there just as much as anyone else.
Austrian Ski Jumper Thomas Morgenstern is injured after a crash during a training run. He flipped and fell backwards on his head resulting in a serious head injury and a damaged lung. He won medals both in the Turin Olympics and the Vancouver Olympics. Hopefully he will recover in time for these Olympic Games.
One of my favorite Olympians, Shaun White, looks to qualify for the Olympic Team this weekend in both Slopestyle Snowboarding and Half-Pipe. If you have the time next weekend, the Half-Pipe finals will be broadcast on Saturday NBC from 9:00 -10:00 CST and the Slopestyle final will be on Sunday 2:00 - 3:00 PM CST. I am getting somewhat conflicting info on that so be sure to check your TV schedule if you are so inclined.
Figure Skater Gracie Gold from my home sweet home, Chicago, is hoping to live up to her last name and win that color medal when she gets to the Olympics this year. First she has to earn 1 of 3 spots available by competing in the US Figure Skating Championships. So far so good. A solid short skate put her 15 points ahead of the nearest competition. You can watch the championships this weekend on NBC from 2-5PM CST tomorrow and again at 7-10PM CST, and also on Sunday 2-4PM CST. In other figure skating news, Evan Lysacek is injured as has withdrawn from the Olympics. Other Olympic hopefuls include 2 time US Champ Ashley Wagner, US Bronze medalist Agnes Zawadzki, 2 time US Champ and 2010 Olympian Mirai Nagasu on the women's side, and reigning US Champ Max Aaron, 3 time US Champ and 2010 Olympian Jeremy Abbott, 2012 US Silver medalist Adam Rippon on the Men's side. Also, 2 time World Champs and 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist ice dancers Charlie White and Meryl Davis will also compete for a spot. Also, adorable ice dance siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani will be trying to a spot. They also enjoying making videos, look the up on Youtube under the name ShibSibs.
I watched some of the Short Track Speedskating US trials last weekend, and I have to say that I am looking forward to the US team competing in Sochi. Short track is one of my favorite sports in the Winter Olympics.
Ok, that about wraps up my info for today. I will continue to post updates leading up to the Games and then during the games I will give you a rundown everyday of the days events and cool stories. YAY OLYMPICS!
I am back for another session of covering the Olympic Games. This time the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Now there has already been tons of controversy over these games due to Russia's stance on many topics and other reasons, but I am not going to go into those, because for me that is not what the Olympics are about. Granted, I agree with many who wanted to boycott Sochi over their policy on Homosexuality, but this is one big machine that can not be stopped quite so easily. I hope those athletes who are gay trumpet it loud and proud in the faces of the Russian government. Also, the US State Department has issued warnings to any citizens wishing to travel to Sochi to see the Olympic games due to the recent terrorist attacks that have occurred near that area. Hopefully these games will be as safe and uneventful in that respect as recent games have been. Anyways, politics aside, here is the news leading up to these Olympic games.
Lindsey Vonn is out. Lindsey Vonn who has had massive problems with her knees over the last few years has been forced to withdraw from these Olympics after injuring herself yet again only a couple weeks ago.
Lolo Jones is close to clinching a spot on the 2014 team. How? you might say, since she was a hurdler in the Summer Olympics. Lolo gave up track and field and has been training since the last Olympics to be a pusher on the Bobsled team. There are 5 pushers up for 3 slots on the team and its up to the coaches discretion who will be picked. There is likely to be controversy either way since many view Lolo as a spotlight hog and that they will only pick her for the publicity, but I think if she has put in her time and proved herself then she should be there just as much as anyone else.
Austrian Ski Jumper Thomas Morgenstern is injured after a crash during a training run. He flipped and fell backwards on his head resulting in a serious head injury and a damaged lung. He won medals both in the Turin Olympics and the Vancouver Olympics. Hopefully he will recover in time for these Olympic Games.
One of my favorite Olympians, Shaun White, looks to qualify for the Olympic Team this weekend in both Slopestyle Snowboarding and Half-Pipe. If you have the time next weekend, the Half-Pipe finals will be broadcast on Saturday NBC from 9:00 -10:00 CST and the Slopestyle final will be on Sunday 2:00 - 3:00 PM CST. I am getting somewhat conflicting info on that so be sure to check your TV schedule if you are so inclined.
Figure Skater Gracie Gold from my home sweet home, Chicago, is hoping to live up to her last name and win that color medal when she gets to the Olympics this year. First she has to earn 1 of 3 spots available by competing in the US Figure Skating Championships. So far so good. A solid short skate put her 15 points ahead of the nearest competition. You can watch the championships this weekend on NBC from 2-5PM CST tomorrow and again at 7-10PM CST, and also on Sunday 2-4PM CST. In other figure skating news, Evan Lysacek is injured as has withdrawn from the Olympics. Other Olympic hopefuls include 2 time US Champ Ashley Wagner, US Bronze medalist Agnes Zawadzki, 2 time US Champ and 2010 Olympian Mirai Nagasu on the women's side, and reigning US Champ Max Aaron, 3 time US Champ and 2010 Olympian Jeremy Abbott, 2012 US Silver medalist Adam Rippon on the Men's side. Also, 2 time World Champs and 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist ice dancers Charlie White and Meryl Davis will also compete for a spot. Also, adorable ice dance siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani will be trying to a spot. They also enjoying making videos, look the up on Youtube under the name ShibSibs.
I watched some of the Short Track Speedskating US trials last weekend, and I have to say that I am looking forward to the US team competing in Sochi. Short track is one of my favorite sports in the Winter Olympics.
Ok, that about wraps up my info for today. I will continue to post updates leading up to the Games and then during the games I will give you a rundown everyday of the days events and cool stories. YAY OLYMPICS!
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