Now you're talkin!!

Mikaela Shiffrin is having a rough Olympics . Not sure what the problem is but for someone of her ability to ski out in two straight events is very strange . Sad to see her struggle but that's life in the public eye.

I haven't been watching and have never really done any snow skiing but I can't help wonder how much of an effect artificial snow plays into things. I was reading the other day that basically all that white stuff is man made.

Interesting
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/natural-vs-artificial-snow-how-it-impacts-skiers-at-the-olympics#:~:text=For%20skiers%2C%20artificial%20sn ow%20tends,than%20skiers%20are%20used%20to

https://theconversation.com/olympic-skiers-and-snowboarders-are-competing-on-100-fake-snow-the-science-of-how-its-made-and-how-it-affects-performance-176339

I never want to hear "insane!" or "sick!" again.

Her interview afterwards was tough.

Did you guys see snowboard cross? That looks like fun!

Brutal officiating in the women's short track event.
https://nationalpost.com/sports/olympics/bad-call-fans-theorize-chinese-speed-skater-tripped-canadian
Watching the replay a few times, The skater from China flips the marker puck forward towards the Canadian woman ahead. Maybe the officials didn't have the view that shows this quite clearly.

Her father died a couple of years ago (since the last Winter Olympics). I've noticed that in general she's been a little off. Add into that the enormous amount of pressure to win and the endorsements and interviews. The World Cup calendar is pretty daunting year on year and Shiffrin has been at the top. Just a lot on her plate.

On a similar note Chloe Kim said she took time off and went to Princeton and that the time away helped her refocus on her sport.

I agree with everything you said . Plus she's long distance dating another skier I think from Austria . You can only physically and mentally stretch so far . If she chooses she has three more events to attempt . But she's got to get her head right ASAP as the next event is Friday .

Also someone on the ROC skating team has failed a drug test . No details have been provided but the medal ceremony has been postponed until the matter is resolved .

It almost looked as if the snow gave out under Mikaela on that one gate. Not much you can do when that happens. They didn't show it, but while she was sitting there in the snow it looked like they might have been rebuilding the track snow for that gate she had the miscue on.

Edited. Scott, there is a thread in PARF to express the thoughts on Wu, that while I am flummoxed as well, belong there.

Best

Even if on natural snow a course will usually get hosed down with water to basically ice for safety/consistency as well to reduce the difference between the first and the last runners. I've been on the Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek after the DH/SuperG and it was bulletproof. And terrifying to think of actually racing on (even as an expert skier and college racer myself).

I don't think the snow is the problem with our star skier - and I hope she rallies for the last few events.

And don't knock manmade snow! That's how some of us learned, white "stuff" out of hoses on top of some landfill in Michigan. Twice a week, after school until 10pm under the lights for $6/day in 1985. I do prefer Wolf Creek CO now however... ;)

I saw it and it was awesome!!!

She took too aggressive of a line at a gate and simply could not turn enough then to be in correct line for the next gate.

"some landfill in Michigan"..... Mt Brighton by chance? I skied there and at Alpine Valley in highschool and college in the 80's. about 2hrs from where I lived just south of Toledo.

Hmmm ......... the Russian skater that failed the drug test is the 15 year old female phenom . It's being reported that the Russians are saying she is taking a heart medicine not a performance enhancing drug .

The IOC is saying it is considered a performance enhancing drug and rumors are the Russians will be stripped of the gold medal and it will go to the Americans .

Additional confusion in the rules because she is a minor is who will be held responsible because she is not an adult . What a mess ! I tried to post the story link but my phone is not playing nice 😋

Wow...I'd love to hear what Sale' and Pelletier have to say.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/winter-olympics/unknown-doping-issue-halts-winter-olympics-medal-ceremony-after-russia-wins-gold/ar-AATDmlq?ocid=msedgntp

Watching men's freestyle aerial skiing .......... yeah they are nuts 😋. Pretty impressive what they are doing in the air .

wow!

Crashes galore as women's luge singles kick off at 2022 Winter Olympics


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Seems like a lot of Russians in the Olympics have heart problems and take medicine. Isn’t this what happened back in 16 or 20?

Apparently the drug in question is Trimetazidine:

..."Trimetazidine is on the banned substances list in athletics by the World Anti-Doping Agency. In 2014, Chinese Olympic champion swimmer Sun Yang tested positive to Trimetazidine, which had been newly banned four months earlier and classified as a prohibited stimulant at the time by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Sun was consequently banned by the Chinese Swimming Association for 3 months. In January 2015, WADA reclassified and downgraded trimetazidine from "stimulant" to "modulator of cardiac metabolism."[5][6] As of January 1, 2022, trimetazidine is listed as a "metabolic modulator" prohibited at all times, "in- and out-of-competition."[7]"...

Huge first run gives Chloe Kim another halfpipe gold | Winter Olympics 2022 | NBC Sports

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