Mega Thread Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games - 7th Feb - 23rd Feb

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robbieando

robbieando

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Well this Friday Night is the Opening Ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Game to be hosted in Sochi, Russia.

After the downright success of the hosting of the 2010 Games by Vancouver, the build to these Games has been dogged by introduction of new Russia Laws in regards to distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors, security concerns that Islamist Jihadist groups from within Russia may attack Sochi during the game after attacks in the lead up to the games and warning from groups to various nations. Add in the concerns that some of the venues might not be as safe as they could of been and the many levels of corruption raised. These are no just your normal Olympics.

Still expect a high level of competition which I will go into below and we could have some interesting few weeks ahead.

Australia have a few Medal hopes and are sending our strongest and largest team ever.

Also these games will see Twelve new competitions - biathlon mixed relay, women's ski jumping, figure skating mixed team, luge mixed team, ski half-pipe (men’s and women’s), skislopestyle (men’s and women’s), snowboard slopestyle (men’s and women’s) and snowboard parallel slalom (men’s and women’s).

Its going to be huge
 
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Well its the Winter Olympics, Australia aren't winning medals left right and centre, so who do you watch if you've never watched a moment of sport played in snow or ice before in your life? Never fear here are some Athletes to watch over the next few weeks from the Wintersports world that could make the headlines for all the right reasons and some for odd reasons.

Ole Einar Bjørndalen - Norway Biathlon

At 40 years of age he only needs the one medal to tie the Winter Games record of 12 set by his countryman Björn Daehlie during the 1990's in Cross-Country Skiing. Should get the medal with Gold in the Team Relay.

Shani Davis - USA Long Track Speedskating

Attemping to win the Gold Medal in the 1000m event for the 3rd Olympics in a row and possibly could be the first American man to do so

Shaun White - USA Snowboard Halfpipe

Like Davis going for 3 in a row, but will make his attempt first. Was going to compete in Slopestyle but pulled out because of injury. Some say he was scared. Not popular with his fellow competitors.

Tora Berger - Norway Biathlon

Current World Champion in 4 of the Biathlon Events and runner up in 2 of the others. Will attempt to become the first athlete to win 6 medals in a single Winter Olympics.

Martin Fourcade - France Biathlon

The current World Champion. His battles with the Norway team will be worth tuning in for alone.

Meryl Davis & Charlie White - USA Ice Dancing

Current World Champions, and as favourites for the event look set to bring the USA their first Gold home in this event. Train with the their main rivals Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir from Canada who won the Gold Media in Vancouver.

Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - Slalom & Super G

At 18 is a huge Medal change in the Slalom, Gold is possible depending on the form of some of the experienced European competitor improving in time.

Maria Hoefl-Riesch - Germany - Downhill, Super G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Combined

The speed queen will take the downhill Gold and then will take us all on a ride of up's and down's until the combined to see if she has enough of a lead to take to the slalom section to hold on for a second Gold.

Ted Ligety - USA Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combined

The big USA hope. The Combined event his best chance at a Gold.

Aksel Lund Svindal - Norway - Downhill & Super G

Is the current FIS World Cup Leader in both events. Is a Beast of an athlete. Expect Gold in both events if his form is anywhere near 100%.

Marcel Hirscher - Austria - Giant Slalom & Slalom

The national hero of Austria. They expect two Gold Medals from Marcel and two is what they will get. No one can match him if he makes all the gates.

Bode Miller - USA Downhill & Super G

The Badboy of US Skiing is back for his last attack at the Gold in the speed events. Spent the year of the World Cup circuit with a Knee Injury but with 3rd in Downhill and 2nd in Super G at Kitzbuhel and his known ability to turn it on at the Olympics. Gold is a possibility.

Sara Takanaski - Japan Ski Jumping

They have finally allowed women to compete in Ski Jumping and 17 year Takanaski has stormed though the World Cup with ease.

Vic Wild - Russia Snowboard Parallel Slalom

American competing for Russia after marrying a Russian snowboard champion and giving up his spot on the US team to move to Russia.

Bruno Banani - Tonga Luge

Changed his name to that of a German underwear company before Vancouver. Missed out on qualifying. Kept the name and in qualifying this time for Sochi is Tonga's first Winter Olympian.
 
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And these guys have to host a World Cup in 4 years as well... Oh dear.

Love the winter Olympics, probably more so than the summer but I get the feeling we won't be talking much about the competition.

This says it all...

 
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That's the fear but can't say things like unfinished toilets, venues and hotels will be a huge concern if the Games go ahead without a major incident. The Games themselves always shine though, but when two Austrian athletes are sent letters from Russia before they depart saying if they attend they will be kidnapped - you fear the worse that something bigger than Munich could be the fallout from these Games. Thats my one and only concern.

Vancouver had un-safe venues, Beijing was a concern health wise and we all remember the days leading up to Athens and buildings still not being finished. Those aren't remembered as much as the actual Games are.
 
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Shaun White has withdrawn from the Snowboard Slopestyle to focus on going Back to Back to Back in the Halfpipe after falling in a training run on the Slopestyle course and hurting his wrist.

http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/...ames-shaun-white-withdraws-olympic-slopestyle

White, who was among the favorites in the new Olympic event, jammed his left wrist during practice Tuesday, and when he came off the slopestyle course, he called it "a little intimidating." Slopestyle is a speed-packed trip down the mountain filled with rails, bumps and, most notably, steeply angled jumps that allow riders to flip two, sometimes three times, before landing. White hurt his wrist on one of the takeoffs, which one top rider, Canadian Mark McMorris, said were built "kind of obnoxiously tall."
Click to expand...

So when the best in the Halfpipe pulls out and the outright favourite McMorris questions the build of the course on top of Torah Bright's comment on arrival, you can't help but think this is going to be an event that could see more pull outs, surprise results and shock horror a Russian Gold or two...
 
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10 have released an App that not only shows the LIVE Feed of 10 and ONE but 6 online channels for events in full. Plus its gives you the VOD option to watch an event back if you miss something.
 
robbieando said:
10 have released an App that not only shows the LIVE Feed of 10 and ONE but 6 online channels for events in full. Plus its gives you the VOD option to watch an event back if you miss something.
Click to expand...
Not impressed. So there are no Foxtel channels like for the London Olympics? And no Samsung TV app.
 
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red+black said:
Not impressed. So there are no Foxtel channels like for the London Olympics? And no Samsung TV app.
Click to expand...

No Foxtel.

They didn't want to pay for the rights. TEN were the only channel that was and they are going to show the coverage across two channels (a FTA TV first and put the rest online for people to access as they like. It not as if there no options available to watch what you want when you want. Which isn't bad for a FTA network covering an Olympics for once
 

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Fantastic to see the great Vladislav Tretiak - greatest ever ice hockey goalie - co light the flame. Won 3 golds and a silver. He was the first player born and trained outside North America to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Ask any Canadian who was at least 6 years old in 1972 and they can tell you where they were when in game 8 of The Summit Series, Henderson put the puck past Tretiak in the dying seconds for Canada to win the series 4-3-1(tie).
 
Mel McLaughlin is going to be a star of these games especially if she wears those shortish dresses.

She was very good on Fox Sports News and very very good on the Fox Sport soccer shows. She is a passionate, knowledgeable sports presenter, who is very attractive but knows her stuff. She has done a good job on 10's big bash league and has started with a bang.
 
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