This small city edging the Taeback Mountains and whose peninsula
borders the East Sea, is home to several temples. It is about 180
kilometres southeast of Seoul, the capital city of The Republic
ofSouth Korea. PyeongChang is also hosting the 2018 Paralympics. The
city's elevation is approximately 700 metres (2,300 feet) above sea
level. From my observation, PyeongChang was ready and waiting for the
athletes and the thousands of visiting spectators ~ well ahead of
Opening Day!
Although 14 hours ahead of our time zone here,
their warmest months are July and August
and like our coldest months of January and February.
High-speed rail opened from December 22, 2017 for the 2018 Olympic
Games. Olympic venues and 'Dream Program' in preparation, the region
has built facilities including hotels and a world-class ski resort
named Alpensia. The 'Dream
Program' (a legacy of the 2010 bid), has mounted its 5th
sports and cultural program inviting 123 participants from 31
countries who were invited because they live where there is no
snowfall and have no opportunity to participate in the winter sports.
Trains, buses (including inter-city buses) have been increased as
well as roads and expressways. What this small city of 43,703 (as of
2014) has done in preparation is amazing! At 700 meters above sea
level, it is known as “The Happy 700.” Distance to the East Sea
(known also as Sea of Japan) is 601 kilometres.
The Opening Ceremony, intrically assembled and all segments running
like clock-work,
the 92 participating nations moved with enthusiasm from outside zero
temperatures
into the main venue. Canada's 225 athletes: the largest contingent
ever sent to Winter Olympics!
“Team
Figure Skating Competition”
Heading into the last Winter Olympics (in Sochi, Russia),
Canada's figure skaters didn't know what to expect from the newly
created 'teams event.'
It was uncharted territory ~ completely designed to award countries
for the 'depth of their talent' instead of just dishing out medals
for top individuals.
10 nations in PyeongChang competed in this event.
Each of the 4 disciplines would be awarded 10 points for the winner,
second place earning 9,
third with 8 points...and so on down to 1 point.
The four disciplines: pairs...single men's...single women's...dance
pairs. Each participating country came with their selected
contestants. After the first 2 disciplines, Canada was first. Not
verified yet, it seems Canada won this event with 23 total points.
An interesting event for all spectators!
Ten
Memories to Last an Olympic Lifetime
In the Burlington Post's February 8th edition, Steve
Milton, a sport's journalist wrote:
“Out of a suitcase full of memories covering eight Olympic Winter
Games,
I select 10 of the most indelible impressions.”
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean ~ Sarajevo, 1984: The
ice dancers' superlative programs, it didn't really resonate until
the first Winter Olympics held behind the Iron Curtain. Bolero,
their single-themed, single-tuned, free dance was a masterpiece of
interpretation, innovation and building to a musical and emotinal
crescendo. It was the culmination of their brilliant amateur careers
which would change the world of ice-dancing. They received
6.0 for artistic merit!
Brian Orser ~ Sarajevo 1984:
After he finished 7th
in the compulsory figures, cynical Canadian media paid no more
attention to him. Anyone who understood the new ranking system (few
of whom were in the media), knew that he could still win a silver
medal, which no other Canadian male singles skater had ever done at
the Olympics. Orser then beat eventual gold medalist Scott Hamilton
in both the short program and the 'free skate' to claim the silver
medal. His 'free skate' was technically arresting ~ and he landed
the first triple Axel in Games history.
Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan ~ Lillehammer, 1994:
Today, it's sort of in the current movie, I
Tonya. It seems
somewhat humourous now, but the old reality is that someone assaulted
an athlete with the intent of keeping her out of the Games. Kerrigan
managed to train enough to win silver, but Harding skated poorly and
had a skate-lace malfunction.
Ross Rebagliati ~ Nagano, 1998:
It was a tremendous, multi-layered story to cover: the first men's
snowboarding gold medalist ever ~ and he tests 'positive' for pot?
His gold medal was restored on a technicality. Snowboarding and its
mountain-culture kin have re-calibrated the Games. (Pot is now
banned only during competition.)
Steve Bradbury ~ Salt Lake City, 2002:
His win was so bizarre, his name is used as a verb in his native
Australia. “To Bradbury” means to win against all odds. He
captured Australia's first-ever Winter Olympics gold when all 4 men
ahead of him in the 'short track' speed skating's 1,000 metres, fell
on a crash at the very last corner. Bradbury, in 5th
and last place, 30 metres back, saw the opportunity to the finish
line as the fallen skaters all slid to the boards.
Daniele Sauvageau and Patrick Quinn, in Salt Lake City 2002: Two
of the greatest coaching performances, ever, as Canada ~ Gold-medal
deprived for a half century of Olympic hockey, won two games within
three days. With the help of loonies
under center ice, Quinn's
charges won (50 years to the exact day, after the Edmonton Mercurys
won Canada's last gold medal.)
Sauvageau kept her team cool, focused and confident to win 3-2!
Shaun White ~ Vancouver, 2010:
Shaun,the iconic snow-boarder and figure skater, Yu-Na were the most
dominant athletes at these X-Games. Shaun scored 46.8 points (out of
50) on his first Vancouver run (clearly enough to win), but on his
second run, did his famous Double
McTwist 1260 to win
his second halfpipe gold medal in two Olympics.
Sidney Crosby ~ Vancouver, 2010:
Even some fans heard Sidney Crosby yelling, “Iggy,
Iggy, Iggy” just
before, to Jarome Ignia who got him the puck to send in alone on
U.S.goalie, Ryan Miller, for the goal at 7:40 of overtime, which gave
Canada the gold medal in the very last second of competition!
The Emotions ~ Vancouver, 2010:
It happens at every Olympics where Canada won its first Olympic Gold
Medal on home soil, but 14 of them. Two of the most memorable were
Scott Moir, who'd just joined life-long skating partner, Tessa Virtue
as the first North Americans to win the Olympic ice-dancing title!
(Previously won by Russia and/or other European country.)
Laura Fortino and Marie-Philip Poulin ~ Sochi, 2014:
Americans still can't believe they lost!!!
Hamilton's Fortino, playing
defensively all tournament, heard team-mates yell, “Shoot!
Shoot! Shoot!”with
just 55 seconds left before a 'shoot-out'!
It was one of the
most dramatic hockey games in women's hockey...when the pass to
Marie-Philip Poulin, scored the winning goal!
Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...February 11, 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment