Olympic Winter Games Officially Open

[CarltonTheBear]

Pretty crazy, but this is the first time Canada has ever led the medal count at an Olympics.  Currently in first with 7 medals (3 - 3 - 1).

Netherlands just took all 3 medals in the mens 500k speed skating. I'm guessing that lead was short-lived then.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Fantastic!

Alex Bilodeau and Mikael Kingsbury finished 1-2 giving Canada a gold and a silver in the Men's Moguls.  Canada nearly swept the podium if not for Marc-Antoine Gagnon who finished fourth, a tad behind Russia's Alexandr Smyshlyaev who came in third with the bronze.

The Canadian men's 1-2 finish on the podium comes a day after the Canadian Dufour-Lapointe sisters, Jocelyn and Chloe won gold & silver, respectively, at the Women's Moguls event.

Story:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/canada-wins-gold-silver-in-mens-moguls/

 

[bustaheims]

Netherlands just took all 3 medals in the mens 500k speed skating. I'm guessing that lead was short-lived then.

No, that event took place before the men's moguls, which was the last event of the day.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Pretty crazy, but this is the first time Canada has ever led the medal count at an Olympics.  Currently in first with 7 medals (3 - 3 - 1).

Netherlands just took all 3 medals in the mens 500k speed skating. I'm guessing that lead was short-lived then.

When was that? CBC still has Canada in first but don't know how recently it's been updated.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Pretty crazy, but this is the first time Canada has ever led the medal count at an Olympics.  Currently in first with 7 medals (3 - 3 - 1).

Netherlands just took all 3 medals in the mens 500k speed skating. I'm guessing that lead was short-lived then.

When was that? CBC still has Canada in first but don't know how recently it's been updated.

busta says that it was before the moguls, so CBC must have been showing it on repeat and I didn't realize. I guess it is past midnight now over there. (I'm surprised that the moguls even took place so late)

 

[bustaheims]

busta says that it was before the moguls, so CBC must have been showing it on repeat and I didn't realize. I guess it is past midnight now over there. (I'm surprised that the moguls even took place so late)

They did start the event just after 6 their time. I'm surprised it took that much time to get done, but, I guess with the weather conditions and the number of runs they do . . .

As for the timing of the events, CBC has a good schedule up on their website. If you go for "grid view," it puts them into a pretty clear chronological order.

 

[Redleaf]

Pretty crazy, but this is the first time Canada has ever led the medal count at an Olympics.  Currently in first with 7 medals (3 - 3 - 1).

I always thought the winner of the most gold medals should be in top spot. I guess one can read it either way?

 

[Kin]

I always thought the winner of the most gold medals should be in top spot. I guess one can read it either way?

If that were the case, why even award bronze or silver medals?

 

[bustaheims]

I always thought the winner of the most gold medals should be in top spot. I guess one can read it either way?

That's the official position of the Olympics, I believe, but, either way, Canada is tied for the most golds and most medals, but, has more silvers than the Netherlands.

 

[Redleaf]

I always thought the winner of the most gold medals should be in top spot. I guess one can read it either way?

If that were the case, why even award bronze or silver medals?

I was talking more about how to determine which country should be considered the overall Olympic winner/champion, the country with the most medals (even if the majority of them are bronze) or the country with the most golds?

Did Canada win the 2010 Olympics with a record setting 14 golds (26 medals) or did the US with 37 medals, 9 of which were first place?

 

[Kin]

I was talking more about how to determine which country should be considered the overall Olympic winner/champion, the country with the most medals (even if the majority of them are bronze) or the country with the most golds?

I think putting that much thought into "winning" the Olympics might be ever so slightly missing the point of them.

 

[Redleaf]

I was talking more about how to determine which country should be considered the overall Olympic winner/champion, the country with the most medals (even if the majority of them are bronze) or the country with the most golds?

I think putting that much thought into "winning" the Olympics might be ever so slightly missing the point of them.

Please don't tell me, 'the point is to have fun. It doesn't matter who wins or loses'?

Maybe winning isnt that important to you, but I'm pretty sure if you ask the athletes that put their careers on hold for years and years, and only work part time so that they can train every single day, they will tell you how important winning is to them.

 

[Kin]

Please don't tell me, 'the point is to have fun. It doesn't matter who wins or loses'?

No, the general point of the Olympics as a whole is nations coming together in the interest of sport. Not crowning a particular champion among competing countries. I suppose that's fairly self evident by the fact that the Olympics has no formula for determining a "winner" and that their charter, you know, says as much.

Maybe winning isnt that important to you, but I'm pretty sure if you ask the athletes that put their careers on hold for years and years, and only work part time so that they can train every single day, they will tell you how important winning is to them.

Yes, I have no doubt they would tell you that, individually, they care a great deal about their own performance and that they very much want to win. That's not the same thing as saying that they're greatly invested in their country having more medals than another country for the purposes of their country "winning" the Olympics.

 

[Redleaf]

Please don't tell me, 'the point is to have fun. It doesn't matter who wins or loses'?

No, the general point of the Olympics as a whole is nations coming together in the interest of sport. Not crowning a particular champion among competing countries. I suppose that's fairly self evident by the fact that the Olympics has no formula for determining a "winner" and that their charter, you know, says as much.

Maybe winning isnt that important to you, but I'm pretty sure if you ask the athletes that put their careers on hold for years and years, and only work part time so that they can train every single day, they will tell you how important winning is to them.

Yes, I have no doubt they would tell you that, individually, they care a great deal about their own performance and that they very much want to win. That's not the same thing as saying that they're greatly invested in their country having more medals than another country for the purposes of their country "winning" the Olympics.

I guess you've never visited the US during the Olympics? Right or wrong, that country certainly knows how to keep track of who wins Olympic events and tournaments. (Particularly when it's them)

 

[Leafaholic99]

We took our first official lead in the medal standings today, 4 golds, 3 silver and 2 bronze after Dara Howell won the gold medal and Kim Lamarre took bronze in the women's ski slopestyle event at the Winter Olympics today.

 

[Redleaf]

We took our first official lead in the medal standings today, 4 golds, 3 silver and 2 bronze after Dara Howell won the gold medal and Kim Lamarre took bronze in the women's ski slopestyle event at the Winter Olympics today.

Did you not buy into Niks opinion about the overall medal standings? It's not important. Nobody wins the Olympics. It's about camaraderie and friendship. Stop keeping track of this guys!

 

[Leafaholic99]

We took our first official lead in the medal standings today, 4 golds, 3 silver and 2 bronze after Dara Howell won the gold medal and Kim Lamarre took bronze in the women's ski slopestyle event at the Winter Olympics today.

Did you not buy into Niks opinion about the overall medal standings? It's not important. Nobody wins the Olympics. It's about camaraderie and friendship. Stop keeping track of this guys!

So then since Canadians are very polite and friendly, we win every Olympics?

 

[Redleaf]

We took our first official lead in the medal standings today, 4 golds, 3 silver and 2 bronze after Dara Howell won the gold medal and Kim Lamarre took bronze in the women's ski slopestyle event at the Winter Olympics today.

Did you not buy into Niks opinion about the overall medal standings? It's not important. Nobody wins the Olympics. It's about camaraderie and friendship. Stop keeping track of this guys!

So then since Canadians are very polite and friendly, we win every Olympics?

Yes. Just keep the jingoism on simmer.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I think they should do away with the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and just hand out Participant medals to everyone!

 

[Kin]

I guess you've never visited the US during the Olympics? Right or wrong, that country certainly knows how to keep track of who wins Olympic events and tournaments. (Particularly when it's them)

Again, if the concept of a lack of an overall Olympic champion were one that were so incompatible with a sporting contest where individual results are counted and mattered, why wouldn't the IOC actually spell out a process for determining a champion? The NHL doesn't leave the Stanley Cup champion for franchises to decide. The NBA doesn't leave it unclear as to whether or not their champion is determined by the playoffs or the regular season. Sporting bodies that award championships, by and large, tend to actually let the participants know about them.

I mean, I appreciate that you're the sort of person who wants to take their cues from the American ethos of winning trumping all other matters of sport(see Harding, Tonya) but that just doesn't seem to carry the day in the eyes of the people who actually put on the Olympics.

Not to worry though. I'm sure you'll find another avenue by which to call the country you live in better than others.