2026 Winter Olympics

[RedBirdie]

That's because Minnesota is awesome. Sadly, I live in a godforsaken shithole state in the South. So I will be drinking on my couch at 8 am.

 

[Big_rock_show]

I will be following up watching the men’s team play in the Olympics by attending a Wisconsin women’s hockey game. Not sure a better day exists. I guess if there was a gymnastics meet in the evening?

 

[RedBirdie]

Winter Cup senior WAG is on at 5pm! Gold medal, badger hockey, winter cup seniors. Pretty damn good day.

 

[MaryClare]

I will be following up watching the men’s team play in the Olympics by attending a Wisconsin women’s hockey game. Not sure a better day exists. I guess if there was a gymnastics meet in the evening?

There is literally a gymnastics meet in the evening

 

[JDB]

I should have seen this Onion headline coming.

Alysa Liu Uses Gold Medal To Gauge Ear

theonion.com

 

[MaryClare]

Ok so it’s wayyy late and I’ve had wayyy too much to drink. But here’s what was great/interesting about the skating from attending women’s free and the gala.

They have so much pride in their art. One gets the impression that in WAG, the artistry components are regarded as something to be endured and the majority of gymnastics would be happily see them gone tomorrow. This lot would be devastated if they had to be less artistic.

They have a really strong athlete community. Yes partly because the training set up means that many of them train together. But it’s also an extremely diverse community. You have European ice dancers in their 30s who’ve been married for years. And Japanese teenagers.

There is a narrative in the media that this is the end of the LGIPB/Eteri type skater. It isn’t. Alysa Liu does what she does so effortlessly and on her own terms BECAUSE of the intensity of her training during her childhood.

Poor Petrosyan. She looked so utterly miserable and alone until the gala where it was lovely to see her have fun and make friends. She gave an interview after the free skate where she said she feels so ashamed because she didn’t win a medal.

The throwing of the plushies is crazy. Crazy.

The female skaters seem much more mature as performers than their same age gymnastics counterparts.

The gala was so cool, we are really glad we went. Unfortunately there were many empty seats, and we found out that ticket prices were very expensive for it. Shaidorov did his infamous kung fu panda routine, as Olympic champion. The Italian team did a spine tingling half rehearsed performance to nessun dorma. Team USA did a performance to queen, just dressed in their warm ups. Nina Petrokina did a performance to cell block tango with various men’s skaters playing the murder victims.

Overall though, it’s a weird sort of Olympics. The distance between Milan and Cortina is too far to go between the 2. So it kind of feels like 2 separate events. Milan is a big city and there isn’t quite enough going on here that it isn’t absorbed into normal daily life. It is quite easy to forget that the Olympics are happening as it just doesn’t have the feeling of a big multi sports event.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

Sadly, I live in a godforsaken shithole state in the South. So I will be drinking on my couch at 8 am.

Is this related to the Olympics or just a usual Sunday in the Birdie household?

 

[RAFIKI]

GB men’s curling team getting another silver was heartbreaking. Their interview was hard to watch and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a team so upset on the silver medal rostrum.

 

[Sasha]

Glad you liked the gala @MaryClare. I caught a couple of routines but it's really not my thing. However, I agree with what you said about artistry in the sport; their commitment to artistry (relative to gymnastics) is clear even in their competitive programs.

I'm remembering the short-lived galas in gymnastics. I'm not sure that anyone aside from Nemov actually enjoyed it very much!

@RAFIKI I feel kinda bad that GB didn't win in curling, especially given the two silvers in a row. Feels wrong to beat a pack of Scots at their own game!

 

[MaryClare]

I'm remembering the short-lived galas in gymnastics. I'm not sure that anyone aside from Nemov actually enjoyed it very much

Haha, Nemov still loves a gala. His whole business is theatrical gymnastics shows. He sells out arenas and his shows are broadcast live on TV. Many current and former elite gymnasts across all disciplines perform in them

 

[MaryClare]

HOCKEY TIME.

Mr MC: I hate both these teams and the fans are going to be so annoying aren’t they?
Me: Yep. We can definitely find some people to wind up.


Regarding the time of the hockey, it doesn’t really suit Europeans either. It’s too early and from a tv perspective, it’s competing with top soccer and rugby. The only reason it’s this early is their insistence in having the closing ceremony in Verona

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Overall though, it’s a weird sort of Olympics. The distance between Milan and Cortina is too far to go between the 2. So it kind of feels like 2 separate events. Milan is a big city and there isn’t quite enough going on here that it isn’t absorbed into normal daily life. It is quite easy to forget that the Olympics are happening as it just doesn’t have the feeling of a big multi sports event.

I read this morning that the next Winter Olympics will be the first Games when events have been held in different countries. And that's in one that will already be spread across a region.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cd6z281w809o

My guess is we'll see more of this as individual cities become less willing to bid. As I don't follow winter sports, I hadn't picked up that we already have a two city Winter Olympics and the next one to be held across a whole region. Seems the process is well underway.

 

[Sasha]

HOCKEY TIME.

Mr MC: I hate both these teams and the fans are going to be so annoying aren’t they?
Me: Yep. We can definitely find some people to wind up.

That both sets of fans are going to be insufferable is the only predictable outcome of this game.

 

[RedBirdie]

Is this related to the Olympics or just a usual Sunday in the Birdie household?

Olympic related. I usually refrain from drinking on Sunday until after church, lol.

Skipping church today. Priorities.

 

[Sasha]

Olympic related. I usually refrain from drinking on Sunday until after church, lol.

Skipping church today. Priorities.

Attending the midnight mass of hockey instead.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

I read this morning that the next Winter Olympics will be the first Games when events have been held in different countries.

In 1956 the summer games were hosted by Melbourne but the equestrian events were held in Stockholm due to Australia’s onerous quarantine regulations.

The whole “region wide” thing makes a lot of sense for the winter games, where small ski resorts with mountains and snow have limited need for a pair of 10,000-seat ice arenas. The 2027 cycling world championships are being held all over the Haute-Savoie department, but the track events will be staged at the Olympic velodrome in Paris.

 

[Lisaelaine80]

That's because Minnesota is awesome. Sadly, I live in a godforsaken shithole state in the South. So I will be drinking on my couch at 8 am.

I’d rather live in the South than in NE.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

Regarding the time of the hockey, it doesn’t really suit Europeans either. It’s too early and from a tv perspective, it’s competing with top soccer and rugby.

My 10-year-old is currently trying to simultaneously watch Canada v US in the ice hockey, India v South Africa in the cricket and Forest v Liverpool in the football. Another 35 minutes until we add France v Italy in the rugby to the mix.