While the Vancouver Olympics aren't finished, the medal races are - and in spectacular fashion for North Americans.
The United States is guaranteed 37 medals and Canada will finish with at least 13 gold medals. Both are the best of these games and part of the greatest hauls ever at a Winter Olympics.
The Americans will leave with the most medals by any country at any Winter Games. They also will win the medal count for only the second time, the other being at Lake Placid in 1932.
Steven Holcomb and the "Night Train" delivered the 36th medal, and ninth gold, for the United States by winning the four-man bobsled event Saturday. The 37th will come from the men's hockey team. Whether it is gold or silver will be determined Sunday.
Showing posts with label Winter Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter Olympics. Show all posts
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Coach's mistake denies gold to Dutch skater, emblematic of events in the United States
For a while, the Winter Olympics in British Columbia served as a splendid contrast to the sullen standoff south of the border between a preening, narcissistic president and a public that tells him regularly that he is off course and a threat to the nation's future.
In Canada, skiers and snow boarders vaulted higher and faster than ever and twisted and turned more dramatically, seeking glory, and perhaps wealth, for themselves and victory for their country.
It was a fine antidote to the leftist attack on wealth seeking and the grinding message of the leftist leadership that Americans should be living not for themselves, but for others.
Then, in a moment, a coach signaled Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer to switch lanes in his 10,000-meter race. He did so, lifting his right leg to clear the lane marker as he switched from the outside lane to the inside.
A short time later, he cruised to an Olympic record for the distance, apparently winning gold.
Then he was disqualified for finishing the race in the wrong lane.
“Usually, I don’t want to blame anyone else, but this time I can’t do anything else,” Kramer said. “I wanted to go to the outer lane; then just before the cone, Gerald shouted, ‘Inner lane.’ I thought he’s probably right, and I went to the inner lane.
“This really sucks,” he said. “This is a real expensive mistake."
The same could be said for the White House's pursuit of an agenda designed to aggrandize government and diminish individuals.
In Canada, skiers and snow boarders vaulted higher and faster than ever and twisted and turned more dramatically, seeking glory, and perhaps wealth, for themselves and victory for their country.
It was a fine antidote to the leftist attack on wealth seeking and the grinding message of the leftist leadership that Americans should be living not for themselves, but for others.
Then, in a moment, a coach signaled Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer to switch lanes in his 10,000-meter race. He did so, lifting his right leg to clear the lane marker as he switched from the outside lane to the inside.
A short time later, he cruised to an Olympic record for the distance, apparently winning gold.
Then he was disqualified for finishing the race in the wrong lane.
“Usually, I don’t want to blame anyone else, but this time I can’t do anything else,” Kramer said. “I wanted to go to the outer lane; then just before the cone, Gerald shouted, ‘Inner lane.’ I thought he’s probably right, and I went to the inner lane.
“This really sucks,” he said. “This is a real expensive mistake."
The same could be said for the White House's pursuit of an agenda designed to aggrandize government and diminish individuals.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Worst start ever to an Olympic Games?
The cancellation of 20,000 more tickets to events at Cypress Mountain, on top of myriad other woes, is putting Vancouver Olympics organizers increasingly on the defensive as they attempt to salvage the world's impressions of the Games taking place here.
In an hourlong Tuesday briefing touching on everything from transportation snafus to equipment failures to weather woes to the prison-camp look of the Olympic caldron display, some reporters demanded to know if this might be the worst start ever to an Olympic Games.
In an hourlong Tuesday briefing touching on everything from transportation snafus to equipment failures to weather woes to the prison-camp look of the Olympic caldron display, some reporters demanded to know if this might be the worst start ever to an Olympic Games.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Is Romney too presidential?
Mitt Romney should be looking good right now, having the strongest claim of any prominent Republican to the title "turnaround expert." That term fits exactly the specifications of many conservatives for the post-Obama president. That raises a serious question. If Romney had decked this guy he'd have a leg up even in some blue states. Why didn't he? It was an opportunity missed.
"Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was threatened by a violent passenger on a flight out of Vancouver on Monday night. Romney and his wife, Ann, were sitting in economy, waiting for takeoff, when the man in front of Ann reclined his seat. When Mitt asked the man to make it upright, the man became “physically violent” and, according to some reports, tried to hit Romney. The passenger was then removed from the plane."
"Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was threatened by a violent passenger on a flight out of Vancouver on Monday night. Romney and his wife, Ann, were sitting in economy, waiting for takeoff, when the man in front of Ann reclined his seat. When Mitt asked the man to make it upright, the man became “physically violent” and, according to some reports, tried to hit Romney. The passenger was then removed from the plane."
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