Say it with me: DE-PRESS-ING.
To help avoid wanting to wrap myself in my Olympics flag and mope, I’ve decided to take a walk down memory lane and relive Vancouver, day by day.
My class schedule that semester couldn’t have been more wonderful: all morning classes, save for one. It may sound like it sucks, but when you’re done with class for the day at 11 and Olympics coverage starts at noon… I don’t have to finish that sentence, do I? ;) I watched more hours of Vancouver than probably any other Games I’ve lived through; every single afternoon, and every single night. Even when I had work from 9 until midnight, I would stand by one of the TVs until we had to start re-racking weights at around 11:15. I even had a coworker who was covering extra night shifts so she could come to work just to watch the Olympics (her roommates locked the TV in their room when they went away). Now THAT’S dedication!
…Social life? What social life?
February 12th, 2010
I just watched a highlight video of the Opening Ceremony, and got a little teary-eyed. There’s nothing I love more than seeing the parade of nations. From huge nations whose hordes of matching athletes look like a massive cult, to little one-athlete nations dressed in traditional cultural garb, one thing never fails: they all look so unbelievably excited, video cameras and little flags in hand. <3
And today is also the one year anniversary of the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the 21-year-old Georgian luger killed during a practice run. RIP.
February 13th, 2010
I’ve been searching for an event-by-event schedule, but can’t find one :(. So I have to go by the major events, and I don’t see many on this date. There was some ski jumping, long track and short track speed skating (Apolo! Woo!), and women’s moguls. Ya know, that craziness where athletes ski down a hill with huge bumps and then launch themselves off a ramp, doing obscene amounts of twists and flips before landing? Yeah, that. I remember really liking Hannah Kearney, because she wore her hair in these weird little pigtails sticking out of her helmet! I love when athletes show personality!!
February 14th, 2010
Canada won their first ever Olympic gold medal on home soil, in men’s moguls. Happy Valentine’s day, Alex Bilodeau!
Men’s luge started up as well, with some added safety precautions. Like padding on the extremely solid posts lining the extremely dangerous track that people hurtle down at extremely fast speeds. And the starting line was moved down to the women’s starting line, with the women starting at an even lower point. That meant slower speed for all, and less chance of athletes literally killing themselves for their sport.
February 15th, 2010
Men’s downhill skiing finally happened, having been postponed for two days due to weather. And HEY! Bode Miller finally redeemed himself a little bit! (Key words: a little bit. I, for one, won’t soon be forgetting his abysmal and embarrassing performance in Torino!) The insanity of snowboardcross got going, as did PAIRS FIGURE SKATING! What can I say? I’ve always been a skating girl. :)
February 16th, 2010
China won gold in pairs skating. They had a great story – this was their third Olympics; they’d gotten two bronzes in the past; they’d quit for two years after Torino but came out of retirement for another shot at gold; and they’re married. I love when pairs skaters are married! There was some more snowboardcross, and biathlon. Have you ever watched biathlon? It may not be the most exciting sport in the world, but let me tell you, these people are AMAZING athletes. To be able to cross-country ski, and then be able to accurately shoot a target, even when your heart rate is so high? Unbelievable.
February 17th, 2010
It was a crazy day for Team USA! Try the most successful at a Winter Olympics ever! :) Lindsey Vonn won the women’s downhill, with Julia Mancuso finishing second. Shani Davis won the long track 1000m, Chad Hedrick got the bronze, and Scotty Lago won silver in men’s snowboarding.
Oh, and Shaun White won gold, too. Only with a score of 48.4 out of 50. And he landed a trick that no one else has ever landed. OH, and his two runs had the two highest scores of the competition, so in reality he won gold AND silver. No big deal or anything.
February 18th, 2010
Lots of biathlon medals, and women’s snowboarding. But all I cared about was EVAN LYSACEK!!! WOOO! I had work that night, so I stood around watching skating for as long as I possibly could. But of COURSE I had to re-rack weights during Evan’s long program. I figured I’d sprint back to my room to see who won (because, of course, this was all happening at the exact time my shift ended and the gym closed), but on my way out I stopped at the TV in the atrium of the wellness center, just in time to see Evan find out that he won! I’ll never forget him jumping up and down like a little boy. <3
February 19th, 2010
Great Britain won their first individual gold medal in 30 years, and their first women’s title since 1952.
…Wait, WHAT?!
February 20th, 2010
Simon Amman won ski jumping for Switzerland. The only reason I feel like that’s worth mentioning is because I actually remember his name. He must be pretty good if an American who isn’t particularly interested in his sport remembers his name, right? :P
And APOLO! At basically midnight (aka technically February 21st, aka my birthday!), he won bronze in the 1000m, making him the most decorated Winter Olympian ever! I spent my last hour of being 18 clutching my face and yelling at the TV, and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. <3
February 21st, 2010
Ski cross made its Olympic debut. It’s been likened to BMX, New York cab drivers racing through traffic (which is enough to get MY nerves up!), and motocross on skis. And I believe this picture says it all.
O.O
There was also men’s and women’s curling (which I’m assuming team USA lost, and with good reason), ice dancing, and USA vs. Canada in men’s hockey (in which our boys were total ballers. Just sayin’!). Pretty good haul on my birthday this year!
February 22nd, 2010
On Olympic.org, the ENTIRE recap of this day was about the volunteers. I mean, kudos to them and all, but really? The Canadian ice dancing team won gold, the Russian team skated in really controversial Aboriginal costumes, and you write about the volunteers? In the words of Ron Weasley, you need to sort out your priorities!
February 23rd, 2010
…Alright, Olympic.org is seriously slacking on their summaries.
Team USA medaled in Nordic combined again, which was shocking (go Bill Demong!)! Bode Miller skied out during the giant slalom, which was NOT shocking. Sven Kramer, a Dutch speedskater, lost the gold medal when his coach kept him in the wrong lane, disqualifying him.
And ladies figure skating started! Mirai Nagasu got a bloody nose during her performance, Joannie Rochette skated brilliantly even after her mother’s sudden death two days before, and Kim Yu-Na… well, what can we even say? Besides BAMF, of course.
February 24th, 2010
The American women got bronze in bobsledding and the short track team relay, and Lindsey Vonn crashed and broke her finger. What else is new? Is she ever NOT injured? But what’s amazing is that she’s always injured and STILL competes!
February 25th, 2010
Kim Yu-Na didn’t win. Kim Yu-Na DOMINATED. It was total and utter annihilation. Mao Asada, the silver medalist was TWENTY THREE POINTS BEHIND, even though she landed TWO TRIPLE AXELS. HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?! Joannie Rochette won bronze, which was absolutely amazing.
Canada beat the US for women’s ice hockey gold, and the Canadian men’s curling team did something that the American team could only dream of: they WON! (Haha, my apologies and sincere love to the men’s curling team. But try and win some matches in Sochi, will ya?)
And the Norwegian men’s curling team won their semifinal as well. But I’m only talking about that so I can show this picture.
Bam. You rock those pants!
February 26th, 2010
Apolo was disqualified from the 500m. I believe you know my thoughts on this matter, yes? >.< But the relay team won bronze in a nail-biter!
The gold medal women’s curling match featured Canada vs. Sweden, and it was INTENSE! I’m pretty sure it was on while I was at work, and my coworker (the one who worked just to watch the Olympics) and I were legitimately freaking out over some of the shots. Have YOU ever gotten worked up about curling? ‘Cause it was new to me, but so much fun!! Sweden won in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion.
February 27th, 2010
The Canadian men’s curling team won gold – and was anyone surprised? Let me answer that for you: NOPE! I’ll give it to them, though, they were awesome. And the German team won the women’s team pursuit in speed skating. In the semifinals (against the US, actually), one of them fell right at the end. But in speed skating, the team finishes when the last member’s skate crosses the finish line. And her blade crossed the finish line before the last member of the US team. So she was flat on her stomach, basically beating the ice in despair, thinking she lost it for her team… but she didn’t. And then they won gold!
February 28th, 2010
One word: HOCKEYYYYYYY. Canada vs. USA for men’s gold. Oh man. So intense. Canada was leading 2-0 going into the third period, but Ryan Kesler made it 2-1. This was the score with 90 seconds left in the game, when the US pulled the goalie for an extra player. Zach Parise scored for team USA with 24 seconds left in the game. TWENTY FOUR SECONDS. I was watching with a group of friends, none of whom really care about hockey, all of whom SCREAMED when the goal was scored! A bunch of guys from down the hall sprinted into the room a second later; they were watching the game too, but their TV was delayed several seconds. They heard us scream and wanted to see what had happened, and ended up missing it on both ends. It was rather hilarious :). We ended up losing the game (damn you, Sidney Crosby!), but it was unbelievably exciting.
And then the Closing Ceremony happened, and just like that, it was over :(.
Is it Sochi 2014 yet? 1090 days and counting...
This was a fun trip down Olympic memory lane, 2010-style! I very clearly remember texting with you when Apolo won on what was technically your birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteRe: Feb 22...I imagine at some point (soon!) you'll LIKE that they recap the volunteers...or the interns...
In a word - FABULOUS!!
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