Keep up to date with the latest stories of the XXI st Winter Olympics from Vancouver right here!
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Google doodles, so far:
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Opening night
Day 2
(http://www.google.ca/logos/olympics10-luge-hp.png)
luge
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snowboarding
Day 3
(http://www.google.ca/logos/olympics10-prsskating-hp.png)
figure skating
Day 4
(http://www.google.ca/logos/olympics10-xcskiing-hp.png)
cross country skiing
Keep up to date with the up to date stories of the XXI st Winter Olympics from Vancouver right here!
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Roland, I'm not sure whether my question fits this thread. Feel free to take it (and hopefully your answer) to the other Olympics thread.
What's up with the sculpture in this pic? Is it something famous? Any meaning behind it? Your avatar pic is a snow version of it. Or is it some kind of archetype, with several different versions (like medicine wheels, or menhir formations like in stonehenge and other places)?
Great question.
The Inukshuk was chosen as the 2010 Olympic logo way back in 2005
Vancouver 2010 logo unveiled
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2005/04/23/2010_vancouver050423.html
The 2010 Winter Olympics will feature a unique design of an inukshuk, a traditional stone sculpture used by Canada's Inuit people, as its official logo.
(http://www.wmo.int/pages/publications/meteoworld/archive/april09/images/vancouver-olympics-2010-language-test-online.jpg)
http://www.inukshukgallery.com/inukshuk.html
The mysterious stone figures known as inuksuit can be found throughout the circumpolar world. Inukshuk, the singular of inuksuit, means "in the likeness of a human" in the Inuit language. They are monuments made of unworked stones that are used by the Inuit for communication and survival. The traditional meaning of the inukshuk is "Someone was here" or "You are on the right path."
...
Hey, Chuck. I actually saw the Protopopovs perform at Harvard several years ago. They were so graceful. Boy, have the times changed! At the same performance, I met Dr. Tenley Albright, the 1956 Olympic champion, and now a surgeon. She was very gracious.
(http://www.lessignets.com/signetsdiane/calendrier/images/fev/5/albright_gal_l_01.jpg)(http://www.teamusa.org/assets/documents/attached_file/filename/4713/Tenley_Albright_web.jpg)
I suppose what both Swedes and Norwegians should wonder about, is whatever happened to Finland. They used to be right up there with us in the skiing events, and now they have been left in the dust. That must be such a downer for the nation that invented Sisu. :-\ Hopefully they'll rally in the next Olympics - when I bet Russia will be on top of the medal statistics.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-26/who-really-won-the-olympics/# (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-26/who-really-won-the-olympics/#)
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2008/10/04/img-daily-beast-logo_162811519591.jpg)
Who Really Won the Olympics?
by The Daily Beast
Sure the U.S. leads the medal count. But if you take away our size and money, we're somewhere below Norway. The Daily Beast ranks the countries on pure talent to show who should really be bragging.
The United States has been sweeping up at these Olympic Games, with 30-plus medals and counting as of Thursday, leading all nations. The financial investment, at $53 million according to the U.S. Olympic Committee press office, is nearly as staggering. That’s a price tag of about $1.8 million per medal.
Was that a good deal? The Daily Beast decided to try to figure that out, focusing not only on total medals, but medals relative to how each country should have performed.
“There’s a mixture of two significant factors that contribute to countries like Canada and many of the northern European countries doing well in the Olympics,” says Kin Lo, associate professor at the Sauder School of Business of the University of British Columbia. “That's the first thing to note: that a matter of geography as well as economics contribute to the disparity in results.”
We measured each country's medal performance against four factors:
· Population: Five times the people means five times the potential for freakishly talented athletes.
· GDP Per Capita: Rich countries allow those athletes to indulge in sports over, say, farming. As with population, measured by the CIA World Factbook.
· Financial Resources: How much money does each country’s Olympic team receive to reach its potential? A tough number to nail down—especially because different teams within each country have different monetary sources—this was compiled with guidance from Lisa Delpy Neirotti, associate professor of tourism and sports management at George Washington University, as well as national press officials.
· Winter Resources: Measures opportunity for winter sports, including distance from the Equator, skiable mountains, seasonal snow, and general infrastructure; it was compiled with help from David Keeling, geography professor at Western Kentucky University, who has visited nearly every country competing in the Olympics.
We balanced these categories evenly, except population, which received a double weighting. We measured gold, silver, and bronze differently, of course. And while we only measured countries that won at least one medal, even the 50-plus non-winners had some interesting results. Giant Brazil has invested nearly $1 million with no alloy to show off, while its former overlord, tiny Portugal, has invested almost nothing with the same result.
America might be leading the Vancouver Games in the medal count, but in terms of achieving what we’d expect, it only gets bronze. Who’s atop this podium of efficiency? Click here. (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-26/who-really-won-the-olympics/#gallery=1370;page=1)
Clark Merrefield and Tali Yahalom researched and reported this ranking.
Click Here to See Our Rankings of Countries
That Earned Real Olympic Bragging Rights. (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-26/who-really-won-the-olympics/#gallery=1370;page=1)
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-hp-main---olympic-resources_170657595558.jpg) (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-26/who-really-won-the-olympics/#gallery=1370;page=1)
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---germany_163304137744.jpg)
#1, Germany
Image: Thomas Kienzle / AP Photo
Total medals: 26 (now 29)
Population: 82,329,758
GDP/Capita: $34,200
Financial Resources: Excellent
Winter Resources: Excellent
Notable Olympians: Maria Riesch, Alpine Skiing (Gold); Magdalena Neuner, Biathlon (Gold; Silver)
Roughly one-fourth the population of the U.S.—and almost as many
medals. Germany spends a lot on its athletes, but it gets a big return
on that investment.
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---norway_16351025743.jpg)
#2, Norway
Image: Jin-man Lee / AP Photo
Total medals: 19 (now 22)
Population: 4,660,539
GDP/Capita: $59,300
Financial Resources: Very good
Winter Resources: Excellent
Notable Olympians: Petter Northug, Jr., Cross-Country (Gold; Silver; Bronze); Oeystein Pettersen, Cross-Country (Gold)
Nineteen medals for a country with only slightly more people than the
city of Los Angeles. Norway's performance—for all its wealthy and
winter-friendly advantages—is staggering—it's fashion prowess, not so much.
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---united-states_163726991464.jpg)
#3, United States
Image: Jim Young / AP Photo
Total medals: 31 (now 36)
Population: 307,212,123
GDP/Capita: $46,400
Financial Resources: Excellent
Winter Resources: Good
Notable Olympians: Bode Miller, Alpine Skiing (Gold; Silver; Bronze); Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Skiing (Gold; Bronze); Shaun White, Snowboarding (Gold)
Lindsey Vonn, the American team's skiing superstar, will face her next
heated match with yet another injury (if she's able to at all). But
perseverance and surprising victories, not to mention exorbitant
numbers of corporate sponsorships, have been the United States'
ticket to gold for about as long as the modern Winter Games have been around.
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---canada_163044494129.jpg)
#4, Canada
Image: Newscom
Total medals: 16 (now 25)
Population: 33,487,208
GDP/Capita: $38,400
Financial Resources: Excellent
Winter Resources: Excellent
Notable Olympians: Christine Nesbitt, Speedskating (Gold); Alexandre Bilodeau, Freestyle Skiing (Gold)
Remember when the Canadians were sweating their first gold medal
last week? Big performance relative to population. Whether this
proves a successful Winter Olympics, however, rests solely on whether
their men's hockey team finishes Sunday with the gold around their necks.
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---russia_163548430267.jpg)
#8, Russia
Image: Mark Baker / AP Photo
Total medals: 13 (now 15)
Population: 140,041,247
GDP/Capita: $15,200
Financial Resources: Excellent
Winter Resources: Excellent
Notable Olympians: Evgeny Ustyugov, Biathlon (Gold); Evgeni Plushenko, Figure Skating (Silver)
Once a powerhouse of Olympic medals, Russia's performance in the
Vancouver Games has proven a disappointment. "The USSR was a
sports superpower, and there was a responsibility that athletes felt
toward the people and their country," hockey fan Sergei Kalashnikov
told The Christian Science Monitor. "Things are different now. It's a shame."
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---sweden_163651512868.jpg)
#9, Sweden
Image: Andrew Medichini / AP Photo
Total medals: 8 (now 10)
Population: 9,059,651
GDP/Capita: $36,800
Financial Resources: Very good
Winter Resources: Excellent
Notable Olympians: Marcus Hellner, Cross-Country (Gold)
During the Swedish winters, cross-country isn't sport. It's transportation.
Sweden has been sweeping the men's cross-country skiing competition
this Olympics, and even the top competitors from other countries acknowledge
they're playing for second.
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---netherlands_163456993229.jpg)
#10, Netherlands
Image: Elise Amendola / AP Photo
Total medals: 6 (now 8 )
Population: 16,715,999
GDP/Capita: $39,000
Financial Resources: Very good
Winter Resources: Average
Notable Olympians: Sven Kramer, Speedskating (Gold); Mark Tuitert, Speedskating (Gold); Ireen Wust, Speedskating (Gold)
Perhaps another one of the biggest upsets this season rests with
Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer, who missed out on what would have
been his second gold medal after illegally changing lanes at the behest
of his coach. "Usually, I don't want to blame anyone else, but this time
I can't do anything else," Kramer told the Associated Press. Now it's a
national disgrace: Without Kramer's disqualification, the Netherlands
would have ranked higher on our list.
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---australia_162948799884.jpg)
#14, Australia
Image: Marcio Sanchez / AP Photo
Total medals: 3 (still 3)
Population: 21,262,641
GDP/Capita: $38,500
Financial Resources: Very good
Winter Resources: Fair
Notable Olympians: Torah Bright, Snowboarding (Gold), Lydia Lassila, Ski Aerials (Gold)
Yes, they have great skiing, but most of the population lives in temperate
climes, and one-fifth of the continent-country is covered with desert.
Still, they're resilient: Four years after re-injuring her reconstructed knee
before competition at the Torino Olympics, Australian women's freestyle
aerial skier Lydia Lassila claimed gold with a twisting, flipping jump that wowed judges.
(....)
(http://www.tdbimg.com/files/2010/02/25/img-mg---olympic-resources---finland_163220199510.jpg)
#24, Finland
Image: Charlie Riedel / AP Photo
Total medals: 3 (now 5)
Population: 5,250,275
GDP/Capita: $34,900
Financial Resources: Very good
Winter Resources: Excellent
Notable Olympians: Peetu Piiroinen, Snowboard (Silver)
While Norway dominates and Sweden holds its own, their Scandinavian
neighbor turned in a horrific performance. Though Finland's most popular
sports include ice hockey and skiing, the country's top medal recipient came
from a pre-defeated snowboarder, Peetu Piiroinen. “I had no chance of beating
[Shaun] White. He is just too good,” Piiroinen later acknowledged in a Finnish publication.
Hmmm. I sorta like'em!
http://www.miss604.com/2009/10/vancouver-2010-medals-unveiled.html
Vancouver 2010 Medals Unveiled
By Miss604 | October 15th, 2009 @ 11:43 am
This morning the gold, bronze, and silver medals for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games
were unveiled at the athlete’s village. The imagery is distinctly British Columbian with First Nations engravings
along the front and back.
(http://www.miss604.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2010medals.jpg)(http://www.miss604.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2010medals1.jpg)
The symbols are based upon master works by Corrine Hunt, a Vancouver, BC-based artist of Komoyue
and Tlingit heritage. The Olympic medals feature the orca while the raven graces the front of the
Paralympic medals. The shape of the round Olympic and square Paralympic medals is wavey, meaning
they wouldn’t sit flat.
(http://www.miss604.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2010medal-front.jpg)(http://www.miss604.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2010medal-back.jpg)
Here are a few medals from past Winter Olympics to make a comparison.
(http://www.miss604.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/winterolympicmedals.jpg)
At a time when the 2010 Games are being criticized for being too politically correct, I’m curious to see
the public’s reaction to the medals that will hang around the necks of the world’s best this winter.
Do you like the Vancouver 2010 Medals?
Yes (76%, 521 Votes)
No (22%, 148 Votes)
Undecided/Leave a Comment (2%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 688
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkQsXls7m0o&feature[/youtube]
Update February 20, 2010 The medals are on display at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4357967875_f8a14d871a_m.jpg)(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4358714008_dcd3e71a4a_m.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4357975407_c29fb34cc2.jpg)
Much more info here:
http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/feature-stories/meet-the-medals_170520LO.html
and
http://corrinehunt.ca/
BIO
Nugwam Gelatleg’lees – killer whale scratching her back on the beach. This is the name given to Corrine by her paternal grandmother, Abusa, in 1965.
Born in Alert Bay British Columbia in 1959, Corrine has been creating contemporary art that reflects the themes and traditions of her First Nations Komoyue and Tlingit heritage since 1985. Corrine’s works include engraved gold and silver jewelry and accessories, custom furnishings in carved stainless steel and reclaimed wood, modern totem poles and other sculptural installations. A member of the Raven Gwa’wina clan from Ts’akis, a Komoyue village on Vancouver Island, Corrine’s rich family history includes internationally renowned First Nations artists Henry, Richard and Tony Hunt, all of whom have influenced her art. Uncle Norman Brotchie was also an early teacher and mentor. Corrine too has mentored First Nations and other artists and continues to be a strong and vocal supporter of the arts in British Columbia.
From the beginning of her career engraving rings, bracelets, pendants and broaches, Corrine has searched for unique ways to bring the stories of her First Nations culture to contemporary life. “I want to show how both the First Nations people and the art have evolved,” she explains. In that process, she is continually inventing and reinventing stories from her culture, honouring her roots and cultivating a refreshing artistic expression at the same time. The results are extraordinary pieces that are both ageless and contemporary. The engravings are not overly ornate; like poetry, they convey their message using as few lines as possible. Similarly, the custom furnishings combine materials that speak to old and new, and bring the concept of living culture into contemporary homes. Corrine began designing furniture and other installed art pieces in part because in First Nations households , adorned furnishings are part of daily life. Objects in the home are not only beautiful, they are also practical and infused with cultural significance.
http://www.globaltvbc.com/money/story.html?id=2106729
Thursday, October 15, 2009
(http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/41524/1d/www.globaltvbc.com/money/2106729.bin?size=sw620nws)
Photo Credit: Andy Clark, Reuters
Native artist Corrine Hunt (R) and co-designer Omar Abel hold the gold medals for the 2010
Olympic and Para-Olympic Games following their unveiling in Vancouver October 15, 2009. Omar holds
the gold medal for the Winter Olympic Games while Hunt holds the Para-Olympic Games gold medal.
ETA: Giant beavers and Michael Buble? Save us! :o
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/01/sports/olympics/0228-CLOSING_index.html (http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/01/sports/olympics/0228-CLOSING_index.html)
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/nytlogo152x23.gif)
Vancouver Brings Down Curtain on Winter Games
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/03/01/sports/33947770.JPG)
The "Maple Leaf Forever," performed by Michael Bublé once competed with "O Canada" to replace "God
Save The Queen" as the Canadian national anthem.
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2010/02/28/0228-CLOSING/33947779.JPG)
Giant cutouts of Mounties, tabletop hockey players and maple leaves made an appearance toward the end
of the ceremony. The hockey players were wearing gold medals.
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2010/02/28/0228-CLOSING/33944731.JPG)
Vancouver youths helped kick off the closing ceremony on as they performed with snowboards around the
Olympic caldron.
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2010/02/28/0228-CLOSING/33947761.JPG)
The Canadian born singer and songwriter Neil Young performed "Long May You Run."
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2010/02/28/0228-CLOSING/33947698.JPG)
The actor Michael J. Fox was part of the "I am Canadian" segment with William Shatner and Catherine O'Hara.
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2010/02/28/0228-CLOSING/33946474.JPG)
Russian ballet dancers performing.
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2010/02/28/0228-CLOSING/33946477.JPG)
In a news conference Saturday, the president of Sochi 2014, Dmitry Chernyshenko, unveiled shiny globes
called zorbs and announced that they represent the transparency of the new Russia, the interconnectedness
of sports fans everywhere and the dot in the Sochi.ru (http://Sochi.ru) logo.
ALSO:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/sports/olympics/01ceremony.html?hp
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/nytlogo152x23.gif)
Olympic Flame Burns Brighter on Last Day of the Games
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/03/01/sports/01ceremony_CA1/01ceremony_CA1-articleLarge.jpg)
Vancouver youth danced around the Olympic caldron at B.C. Place Stadium on Sunday night.
By JULIET MACUR
Published: February 28, 2010
ETA: Giant beavers and Michael Buble? Save us! :o
Got it! I got one of the giant inflatable beavers (cheerful yet apparently enchained )! :D
(http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/5194/slide_5194_71520_large.jpg?1267502888823)
Anybody find the inflatable moose?? Let us know!
For those who don't know, hockey is big in Canada. They say that 80% of the country (man, woman and child) watched the gold medal game between Canada & the U.S. (the States had beaten the home team in the round robin match up).
BTW, Canada ended up with the gold medal, even though the U.S. tied up the match with only 24 seconds remain to play. The game was won in overtime when Sydney Crosby scored.
Anyways, back to the fact that Canadians are crazy for hockey.
The city of Edmonton (Alberta) has released a graph indicating water usage (ie, toilet flushing) during the game, compared to the previous day's water usage.
(http://www.billinexile.com/wp-content/uploads//2010/03/flush_game.jpg)
BTW, if you're going to watch just one paralympics event, make sure it's a sledge hockey match.
CTV hasn't allow the live feed of k. d. lang's performance of 'Hallelujah' be released onto youtube, but someone's managed to post an audio of the performance ... for the time being anyways.
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPJkiB2o0sw[/youtube]
Today, (13-03-04) I found this slightly trunkated, but live version of the original performance from the Vancouver games. Still worth it.
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKrkEOlyJo8[/youtube]