Olympics Bloggette 2/11 5:15 GMT

[SuburbanFarmer]

Canadians have the hottest curler I’ve seen so far. Very toasty.

You sound surprised, you shouldn't be.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Men's Skiathalon was fucking epic. The winner wiped out and faceplanted in the first 100 yds, recovered, trailed for most of the race, then swept forward to win by 5 seconds. Olympic heroism.

[Montegriffo]

Men's Skiathalon was fucking epic. The winner wiped out and faceplanted in the first 100 yds, recovered, trailed for most of the race, then swept forward to win by 5 seconds. Olympic heroism.

British guy Musgrave finished 7th. Our previous best ever was 29th.
I want Otern here to explain to us why Norweigans are so much better than anyone else at cross country skiing. They usually win nearly all the medals, they got all 3 in this race.

[StCapps]

Men's Skiathalon was fucking epic. The winner wiped out and faceplanted in the first 100 yds, recovered, trailed for most of the race, then swept forward to win by 5 seconds. Olympic heroism.

British guy Musgrave finished 7th. Our previous best ever was 29th.
I want Otern here to explain to us why Norweigans are so much better than anyone else at cross country skiing. They usually win nearly all the medals, they got all 3 in this race.

Well they aren't good enough at hockey, so they focus their resources elsewhere, I suppose.

[Smitty-48]

Men's Skiathalon was fucking epic. The winner wiped out and faceplanted in the first 100 yds, recovered, trailed for most of the race, then swept forward to win by 5 seconds. Olympic heroism.

British guy Musgrave finished 7th. Our previous best ever was 29th.
I want Otern here to explain to us why Norweigans are so much better than anyone else at cross country skiing. They usually win nearly all the medals, they got all 3 in this race.

Well they aren't good enough at hockey, so they focus their resources elsewhere, I suppose.

Norway can win all the Nordic medals, and it still doesn't amount to a hill o' beans, I like to Nordic ski meself, but that don't make me Rasmus Dahlin.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Got the same question from my girlfriend today. My answer is thus:

If your culture has a long and active history of doin something like skiing or skating, then there’s a much larger pool of athletes that are doing it, and you’re much more likely to have the best in the world at doing that thing attracted to, or already part of your society.

Dutch = skating, because they used to use their canals as highways all winter.

Nords = skiing, because that was the only way to get around.

If you want an American football player, you go to America.

[Smitty-48]

If America throws its weight behind something, America can be right there with the best of the best, if the US decided to have a National Nordic Skiing Development Program like they do with hockey, the Americans would be nipping at the Norge's heels, just like they are with Canada in hockey.

There will be no more Miracles on Ice in hockey, because with the NTDP, America has come from the back of the pack, to being tied for second best with Sweden, and not by that much, the Americans are right there at the top, because they've thrown their weight behind a national development program. Auston Matthews is not a fluke, he was designed and built, very deliberately.

[Montegriffo]

Nords = skiing, because that was the only way to get around.

That doesn't explain why they are so much better than all the other places where that is true. I guess it's a positive feedback loop. You become a national hero in Norway for winning at cross country so everyone wants to do it.

[Speaker to Animals]

It's really a wonderful sport.

[Smitty-48]

Rachel Homan is a fox, but I actually think Emma Miskew is cuter, Rachel is foxy, but Emma is more girl next door sweet.