Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

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  • Posts: 7,653
    Glorious Wintergames for the Netherlands, we ended our presence with two more medals.

    Speed Skating - Men's Team Pursuit - GOLD
    The teams that pulled out of the 10.000m individual speedskating in favor of this team event did not even figure here, kudo's to Korea that did not want to lay their heads down in the face of Dutch supremacy this tournament. Korea made it a real race.

    Speed Skating - Women's Team Pursuit - GOLD
    In all three skate matches towards the gold medal did the ladies get an Olympic record, they kept improving on themselves. The race for Gold was bit of an anticlimax because the Polish ladies did not want to race, they gave up immediateley which did not stop the Orange ladies to go full out once more. the Lassies from Poland never came for Gold were pleased with their silver medal.

    The Netherlands did win in all of the 12 events of the speedskating tournament a medal, and twothirds were GOLD. 23 medals out of a possible 36 medals, even if we could get only one medal in both of the team pursuits, which I am sure was welcomed by the other teams. :D
    We had some amazing fun in Sochi, and the folks back home really enjoyed themselves a lot.
  • Posts: 7,653
    The medals in order of Quality instead of quantity as used by the whole world except in the US. ;)


    Russia 11-10-8 =29

    Norway 11- 5- 9 =25

    Canada 9-10- 5 =24

    United States 9- 7-11 =27

    Netherlands 8- 7- 9 =24

    Germany 8- 6- 5 =19
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    The Netherlands dominance in speed skating is truly astounding. Amazing, wonderful accomplishments.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Bravo, Nederland! Do you skate yourself, @SaintMark? Just wondering if it is a very common activity over there and if that is the reason why you excel in it so much?
  • Posts: 7,653
    Bravo, Nederland! Do you skate yourself, @SaintMark? Just wondering if it is a very common activity over there and if that is the reason why you excel in it so much?

    I used to skate but that matters none.

    These athletes worked very hard and found a way to improve their skills gradualy, and while this succes might be surprising, the whole season before the wintergames it looked like we were going to do very well. The result does even astonish the Dutch, but they worked hard for it and like with the women & men they intimidated their compitition by their form.

    I am very proud at these athletes and their achievements.

  • Posts: 7,653
    Finland made quite sure what the US icehockey is worth, NO MEDAL. :O
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    Watched a fair share of the Olympics. The one thing I like about the Winter Olympics is that there is no dominant country in terms of overall medalling. Granted the Dutch blew the doors off of speed skating and the Canadians won both hockey golds, but overall it is very competitive.

    What I enjoyed:

    The X game elements of snowboarding and skiing.
    The Alpine events
    For some reason I really enjoyed figure skating this time around.
    The American viewers got Tara Lapinski and Johnny Weir on commentary. Those two had fantastic chemistry.
    The Dutch dominance in speed skating

    What I didn't like:

    US in speed skating (blaming the uniforms)
    Pussy Riot getting whipped for all to see.

    I had concerns at the beginning, but the Russian pulled it off. This was a very enjoyable Olympics to watch.

  • DiscoVolanteDiscoVolante Stockholm, Sweden
    Posts: 1,347
    Congrats Canada, well deserved win :) I just feel very sorry for Niklas Backstrom who was banned from playing the most important game of his life due to positive drug test. He's taken the same allergy medicine for SEVEN YEARS. Something went terrible wrong here... The IIHC supports him.
  • edited February 2014 Posts: 479
    The Dutch dominance of the speed skating was absolutely brilliant, something I don't think I've ever seen before and something we may not see for a long time. Have to hand it to Russia though, they did their home fans proud, except in the Hockey. It was an enjoyable games, I can't believe it has almost been two years since the London summer Olympics. How time flies.
  • Posts: 7,653

    Final result of Sochi 2014

    Russia 13 - 11 - 9 = 33
    Norway 11 - 5 - 10 = 26
    Canada 10 - 10 - 5 = 25
    US 9 - 7 - 12 = 28
    Netherlands 8 - 7 - 9 = 24:!!
    Germany 8 - 6 - 5 = 19
    Switzerland 6 - 3 - 2 = 11
    Belarus 5 - 0 - 1 = 6
    Austria 4 - 8 - 5 = 17
    France 4 - 4 - 7 = 15
  • edited February 2014 Posts: 4,622
    Congrats Canada, well deserved win :) I just feel very sorry for Niklas Backstrom who was banned from playing the most important game of his life due to positive drug test. He's taken the same allergy medicine for SEVEN YEARS. Something went terrible wrong here... The IIHC supports him.

    This is another reason why I would like to see the best-on-best hockey tournaments removed from the Olympics and returned to the World Cup format of every 4 years.
    There would be no IOC-style drug testing and other Olympic bs. Plus no Norway, Austria, Latvia, Switzerland or Slovenia. Just the big 6 hockey powers ie Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Czech plus Slovakia. And that is how I would rank the hockey powers coming out of the Sochi games.

    Poor Sweden never had a chance. Too many injuries plus the bogus suspension of Backstrom- but Canada executed Coach Babcocks puck possession game plan to perfection. The Canadian plan was to control the puck possession game, which they had been doing all tournament (hence only 3 goals against in 6 games) and thus be on offence all the time. But this puck possession type offence is very conservative. It tolerates no attacking zone turnovers, where the taking of reckless scoring attempts, or loosey-goosey centering atttempts, or ill-advised shots-on-goal, might result in possible counter-attack.
    You can only play this kind of puck-control game with a squad of high-skill players, which is what Canada had. Not a weak link in the bunch.
    It frustates the heck out of opponents because they never seem to have the puck.
    Downside is you don't score as many goals, but you dominate play by always having the puck, and thwarting all enemy action with relentless back-pressure and forecheck.
    Enemy can never seem to get anything going as your team is always positioned to take the puck back.
    Something to behold I thought. Even the 1-0 win over USA was dominant. Canada only needed the one goal.
    I've never seen a Canadian team play with such discipline to system. It all rests with the coach Mike Babcock. He figured this group of talent could play this kind of game, all the way down the lineup.

    Anyway, I do hope the NHLers do not go to South Korea, just so we can have creamof the crop tournaments only, without the clutter of lesser powers.
    Olympics can continue with non-NHL players, which means the Russians will probably achieve advantage as they will try and lure their NHL calibre players to the KHL in Olympic years, to make them eligible. C'est la vie.

    btw, in best-on-best tournaments Canada has now won 9 out of 13 since the epic "war-on-ice" Canada Soviet Summit series of 1972 in which Canadian NHL players were first pitted against the Soviet hockey machine.
    The ultimate cold war battle!
    I am not including the 1979 Challenge Cup in which the Soviets beat an NHL all-star team, wearing NHL uniforms. It wasn't strictly a Canadian team as it was re-inforced with 3 ace Swedes of the day playing in the NHL. Soviets still won, which shows how powerful they were in their cold-war prime.

    The 13 tournament breakdown is as follows

    One 8 game, Soviet-Canada Summit series won by Canada (1972)

    5 Six-nation Canada Cup tournaments: Canada 4 titles, Soviets 1
    2 World Cup invitationals: Canada 1 title, USA 1 title
    5 Olympics in NHL era: Canada 3 golds, Czechs 1 gold, Sweden 1 gold
  • edited February 2014 Posts: 7,653
    timmer wrote:
    This is another reason why I would like to see the best-on-best hockey tournaments removed from the Olympics and returned to the World Cup format of every 4 years.
    There would be no IOC-style drug testing and other Olympic bs. Plus no Norway, Austria, Latvia, Switzerland or Slovenia. Just the big 6 hockey powers ie Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Czech plus Slovakia. And that is how I would rank the hockey powers coming out of the Sochi games.

    Why not both!!! A worldcup every four year and the Wintergames, every two years a major tournament and through the wintergames other countries get to show their skills. It is not like the BIG six will always remain the same.

  • edited February 2014 Posts: 4,622
    SaintMark wrote:

    Why not both!!! A worldcup every four year and the Wintergames, every two years a major tournament and through the wintergames other countries get to show their skills. It is not like the BIG six will always remain the same.
    The big six hasn't changed since the first Canada Cup in 1976. I include Slovakia as a 7th entry, as they were the other half of the old Cold War Czechoslovakia powerhouse wich rivaled the Soviet Bear.
    Other countries just don't have the same hockey cultures to develop the players. Even Switzerland which is best of the rest it seems, plays a stifling checking game and hang-back defence game to compensate for their talent deficit.
    Every four years is enough for a best-on-best tournament or NHL tournament which is really what it comes down to. Anything else is too much. You need to create a sense of the event.
    Olympic hockey would still work. It would just be minus NHL players. The big six could still field good hockey teams. Canada used to ice a dedicated national-team program which played all year around all-over the world but with the Olympics in mind as ultimate goal. They never won gold but they were still a threat.

  • Posts: 7,653
    Well in my opinion a World Cup should not be six countries as it would not be a World Cup but a six nations cup. Just like the Superbowl is not the World champion American handbal ( I keep missing the football aspect) as it concerns only the teams of the US.

    For a World Cup you we need to give all countires who fancy it a shot at the end tournament, just like with Football. ( I strongly dislike the soccer label whic his undoubtely of US origin as they have trouble to see the difference between football and rugby, one played with feet and the other played with mostly hands. And as far as I am concerned NFL is more rugby with a shitload of protection. ;)
  • Posts: 4,622
    I must say, I did enjoy these Olympics. So many great events. I do live and die for the best-on-best hockey, but there was so much else to take in too.
    Sochi put on a great show. Even Putin's Bond villain schtick, adds a colourful dimension.
    If the Russians weren't heating luge tracks and rigging figure skating, it just wouldn't be the same. For a Bond fan, what better nation to carry the Olympic villain banner?
  • Posts: 7,653
    timmer wrote:
    I must say, I did enjoy these Olympics. So many great events. I do live and die for the best-on-best hockey, but there was so much else to take in too.
    Sochi put on a great show. Even Putin's Bond villain schtick, adds a colourful dimension.
    If the Russians weren't heating luge tracks and rigging figure skating, it just wouldn't be the same. For a Bond fan, what better nation to carry the Olympic villain banner?

    The US??? ;)

    Just kidding, next up Korea 80 kilometers from its evil neighbour. This does open up some interesting possibilities.

    But I agree with the Wintergames, there is something for everybody. Bill Maher said something funny when he mentioned that those stonerkids with their stoner ski/snowboard activities brought home the bacon for the US. Another score for legalising pot.

    Overall I find the Wintergames more fun than the summergames as I see sports I would never would dare or could do. And some of them are actually quite dangerous.

    Unless they introduce sharks with synchronised swimming I find the summer games less exciting.

  • Posts: 4,622
    Winter olympics also has a bit of an exotic Bond vibe, moreso than summer games, what with all the skiing especially and bobsled too. The games evoke flashes of films like OHMSS and FYEO.
  • Posts: 7,653
    timmer wrote:
    Winter olympics also has a bit of an exotic Bond vibe, moreso than summer games, what with all the skiing especially and bobsled too. The games evoke flashes of films like OHMSS and FYEO.

    That could indeed be the case, with OHMSS & FYEO.
  • edited February 2014 Posts: 4,622
    I am readjusting my men's hockey rankings coming out of Sochi.
    I had USA at number two, based mainly on the threat that they posed to Canada in the semi, however results do speak volumes and must be considered.
    Sweden and Finland IMO both warrant higher ranking. Sweden on paper talent wise, I think also matches up better than USA as well as getting better results, and Finland has decent talent, plays hard and manages to beat people ( ie both Russia and USA and took Canada to overtime)
    therefore I put Canada #1 Sweden at #2 Finland #3 and USA #4 Russia #5 and Czech #6
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