Author Topic: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views  (Read 112274 times)

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #80 on: February 27, 2010, 11:57:08 pm »
I'm relieved to see Canada do so well.

At the beginning of the games, it wasn't going so well, and there was talk that the slogan they were using "Own The Podium" could turn out to be an embarrassment.

Thankfully, the country's fortunes turned around, and they've won a great amount of gold.

;D


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'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #81 on: February 28, 2010, 05:07:38 am »
medal standing, early final day              (bold indicates new victories in previous 24 hours)
          
                            gold  silver  bronze  total
1  United States     9     14     13        36           Owning the podium for only the second time
2  Germany            10    12       7        29
3  Canada              13      7       5        25            Leading in the gold medal category for the 1st time - ever
4  Norway               8       8       6        22
5  Austria               4       6       6        16
6  Russia                  3       5        7        15
7  South Korea          6       6       2         14
8  China                    5       2       4         11
8  France                 2       3       6        11
10 Sweden               5      2       3        10
11 Switzerland         6      0       3          9
12 Netherlands         4      1       3         8
13 Czech Republic       2      0        4         6
13 Poland                 1      3        2         6
15 Italy                    1       1       3         5
15 Japan                  0       3       2         5
15 Finland                 0       1       4        5
18 Australia                2       1       0         3
18 Slovakia                 1       1       1         3
18 Belarus                  1       1       1         3
18 Slovenia                 0      2        1        3
18 Croatia                 0      2       1        3
23 Latvia                     0       2       0        2
24 Great Britain           1       0       0         1
24 Estonia                   0       1       0        1
24 Kazakhstan             0       1       0        1
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Offline Berit

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #82 on: February 28, 2010, 05:28:36 am »
I'm happy for all you Canadians but I'm also proud of Sweden taking 5 gold medals.....we are only 9 million people here.......
Ennis.....always Ennis.....

Offline Sheriff Roland

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #83 on: February 28, 2010, 05:51:30 am »
When comparing population numbers, Canada is 3,5 larger than Sweden and only achieving 2,4 more gold medals, it's true.

But when comparing with nations with larger medal hauls, the United States' population is nearly 10 times larger than Canada's achieving only 0,4 more medals. As for Germany, they are a little over twice the size of Canada achiving about 0,2 more medals.

But in the gold medal count, Canada finally did own the podium.

We knew there would be more medals coming our way in the last days, seeing as we were quite competitive in both team sports (curling and hockey, women and men), and since both sport require many days of competition, they are always among the last medals awarded.

U.S.A. 310 million
Germany 82 million
Canada 33 million
Norway 5 million
Austria 8 million
Russia 142 million
South Korea 50 million
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Offline Mikaela

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #84 on: February 28, 2010, 04:15:51 pm »
Hmmm... I note that Norway wasn't included in the medals vs. population size comparison.  ;)

Anybody wanting to do the math, should note that Norway won another gold half an hour ago.  :)

That said, congratulations Canada for an amazing medal count and very well executed Games.  :)  It's been fun, and since most of the events have taken place in the evening Norwegian time, most of the country have been glued to the TV screen.  A fair share of us have actually been glued to the screen late into the night, watching curling - a sport that has about 1,000 actives in the whole country and which noone knows the first thing about, except when we're doing well in the Olympics.  ;D

Offline Sophia

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #85 on: February 28, 2010, 05:17:20 pm »
Hmmm... I note that Norway wasn't included in the medals vs. population size comparison.  ;)

Anybody wanting to do the math, should note that Norway won another gold half an hour ago.  :)

That said, congratulations Canada for an amazing medal count and very well executed Games.  :)  It's been fun, and since most of the events have taken place in the evening Norwegian time, most of the country have been glued to the TV screen.  A fair share of us have actually been glued to the screen late into the night, watching curling - a sport that has about 1,000 actives in the whole country and which noone knows the first thing about, except when we're doing well in the Olympics.  ;D

sorry, maths not my favorite thing, but I can tell you that with this last medal Norway have recieved 10 gold medals. Its the same amount of gold medals that USA have recieved. So the hat of for you guys!!!  :-* 

Offline oilgun

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #86 on: February 28, 2010, 06:15:02 pm »
I'm relieved to see Canada do so well.

At the beginning of the games, it wasn't going so well, and there was talk that the slogan they were using "Own The Podium" could turn out to be an embarrassment.

Thankfully, the country's fortunes turned around, and they've won a great amount of gold.

;D

I think the slogan is an embarrassment, period.  I've been turned off by this whole medal obsession which seems worse during these games than any others I've watched. When Silver and Bronze medalists feel they have to apologize for not getting the Gold, something isn't right. 

Anyway, is it over yet, lol!

Offline Mikaela

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #87 on: February 28, 2010, 06:21:25 pm »
sorry, maths not my favorite thing, but I can tell you that with this last medal Norway have recieved 10 gold medals. Its the same amount of gold medals that USA have recieved. So the hat of for you guys!!!  :-* 

Thank you on behalf of those who actually struggled through the slopes and ski courses and ski jumps and shooting ranges (as opposed to me, sitting on my butt in front of the TV  :P )

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.

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #88 on: February 28, 2010, 07:58:07 pm »


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/#



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.

Clark Merrefield and Tali Yahalom researched and reported this ranking.











#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.





#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.





#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.





#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.





#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."





#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.





#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.





#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.




(....)




#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.
"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Vancouver Winter Olympics - News and Views
« Reply #89 on: February 28, 2010, 09:21:52 pm »
I wonder who designed the medals?  ???

I was looking at them in the banner image. They look like Hannukah Geld that's been left in the sun too long and started to go all soft and gooey.  :P

Or some sort of melty image by Salvador Dali.  :-\

I'm sure the winners of them are proud as all get-out of their achievements--as they should be--but as far as I'm concerned, the medals themselves are ugly.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.