Friday, February 19, 2010
Your Turn
With the Winter Olympics in full swing, I thought I would take this opportunity to ask you about your favorite Olympic sport. It can be summer or winter. I will even take a favorite Olympic moment (Miracle on Ice for me). Heck I will even take your favorite story even slightly related to the Olympics like you got engaged during them or something. I'm sure you will think of something.
Lived in Australia in 84. The pairs skating that year was the best ever. The winners were amazing.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the Olympics. I barely watched in 2004 and 2006, but I MORE than made up for it the last two rounds. Every night I'm glued to the TV until midnight.
ReplyDeleteFavorite memory EVER? Probably when the US swim team with Michael Phelps won that relay against the French and everyone was jumping up and screaming. I was jumping up and screaming, too. Just like I did last night for Evan Lysacek.
Also -- the hottest bodies in male Olympians belong to synchonized divers. HOTTNESS.
My father and I were both unemployed in the Winter of 1994, so we watched the Olympics all day and evening together everyday. It was really a bonding thing. Turns out it was good. He died 3 months later, and I have those memories with me forever.
ReplyDeleteIn the paper today it said that the Olympic Committee donated 100,000 condoms to the use of the Olympians at the Olympic Village. That, sir, is my favorite sport.
ReplyDeleteAw Jamie - that's an awesome memory related to the Olympics!
ReplyDeleteMy watching of the games has been spotty over the years, but I've got to say hockey. Nothing like national pride for that home hockey team. It's the only event I won't miss when Canada's playing.
84 Olympic Ice Dance Champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. I was glued to the screen.
ReplyDeleteAlso: I grew up in the town next to Nancy Kerrigan's hometown. I was in the fourth grade during the 1994 Olympics and every kid in my class pretended that he or she knew Nancy somehow, making up crazy stories. ("She was my skating teacher and taught me how to do a triple axel!" "We go shopping together all the time!" "My father drove her in the parade and gave her a HUG!" Actually, that one was a real story of a classmate of mine.)
ReplyDeleteIn reality, I've only seen her at her victory parades and once at the movies with one of her kids. Very sad about all that's happening with her father and brother.
Watching Sarah Hughes win the gold for ladies figure skating in 2002! I think she was fourth going into it, the skaters ahead of her each had a slight flub and she went out and skated the program of her life. That competition was so intense and my husband and I were glued to the TV. When the final outcome was announced, I literally fell out of my chair with excitment for her.
ReplyDeleteThe skiing events are my favourtie Olympic events, but if I had to choose one it would be the Super G. Closely followed by the aerials.
ReplyDeleteLove, LOVE the ski jumping!
ReplyDeleteNever been a big fan of The Olympics, but just wanted to say
ReplyDeleteJamie's Girl - your story tugs at my heart. My dad and I bond over John Wayne westerns and I know he won't be here forever, so I really treasure those mmoments.
Looserdude - Hilarious! (And how responsible of the IOC!)
I prefer the summer ones over the winter. I enjoy only the figure skating in the winter Olympics. In the summer, I love swimming, gymnastics, diving, fencing, basketball... I can't think of anymore off the top of my head.
ReplyDeleteJamie's Girl- Love that story!
Well, as a Canadian, it's hockey of course, but that's a given so I'll go with my next favourite, the speedskating. That short track speedskating is heart attack-inducing stuff! LOL! Next is the moguls. SO much fun.
ReplyDeleteI love both the summer & Winter Olympics but I love love love the winter more, and I'm having SO much fun watching these games. :D
My sister was an Olympic Gymnast but didn't get to compete because that was the year the USA boycotted. It sucked like you would not believe.
ReplyDeleteI still think the next time the Summer Olympics are held in the United States they should let the 1980 Olympians march in the opening ceremonies. I think it would be nice that those athletes at least got to experience that.
Jamie's Girl - bittersweet story.
ReplyDeleteI love the Olympics. I enjoy watching all the athletes but my favorite event is the gymnastics.
I'm a big fan of swimming.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Very sad for your sister, Hortencia Willowby.
ReplyDeleteWinter 1994 - Gordeeva and Grinkov
ReplyDeleteI still watch the video sometimes.
my sister and aunt and i live blogging this olympics mens figure skating program!
ReplyDeletehttp://boysoniceo.blogspot.com/
it was "so 21st century" of us and a lot of fun and a great family bonding moment -- plus johnny weir has given me a new understanding of male beauty ;)
Harriet Hellfire doesn't watch sports.
ReplyDeleteCool Runnings.
ReplyDeleteAnd Torvil and Dean's Bolero.
Curling makes me laugh. So absurd that it's an Olympic sport!
ReplyDeleteI saw a handball match at the LA Olympics, and went to track (marathon) & beach volleyball in Atlanta. I'm looking forward to the summer olympics in London. That will be my third city to live in that has hosted the olympics. There is always so much hype over how bad the traffic will be/hotel rates jacked up/locals will all get rich off of olympic tourists. And it never happens.
a couple of memories stand out~the Miracle on Ice was soo emotional, i was pregnant with my daughter and I cried hysterically at Jim Craig wrapped in the American flag looking for his dad in the crowd~the hormones were in overdrive~but it was a heart wrenching moment, i think his mom has just died and all he wanted to do was find his dad! and it was soo great to beat the big, bad Russians!
ReplyDeleteDorothy Hamill, i most definitely got the haircut LOL
Peggy Fleming, i was a young kid but i still remember her gracefullness
My favorite Olympic story is seeing a friend of mine in the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Torino games. She went on to win the silver medal in women's bobsled. Seven weeks ago she pulled her hamstring and has been rotated out of the 2010 team. Is it horrible of me to wish that one of the other women can no longer compete and my friend will have a chance again to compete? She's in Vancouver and will be rotated back onto the team if need be.
ReplyDeleteThere was a similar story about mass condom distribution at the Beijing games.
ReplyDeleteDuring the opening ceremonies, Matt Lauer said there are about 2,500 Olympic athletes during the Winter games vs. about 11,000 during the Summer games. That's about 40 condoms for each Vancouver competitor. Wow.
I really like watching the downhill skiing, snowboarding and I've spent a ridiculous amount of time this week watching curling.
GauchoGirl, don't even worry about it. I will think positive thoughts for your friend too.
ReplyDeleteI love watching the waterpolo. Men's or Women's. I played in high school and college and I miss playing terribly.
My favorite Olympic memory is being able to swim in the Olympic pool in Atlanta when I was a kid. That was pretty neat.
I always feel slightly ashamed that I don't follow the games more closely.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Dorothy Hamill win the gold. That was it. From that point on, I was a skater-haircut, bouncin and behavin shampoo and all! I got to meet her in person and she is truly lovely!
ReplyDeleteOh...and.....whyyyyyyyymmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeee??????????????? Sorry, Nancy...know you're going through tough times, but that was one of the most memorable Olympic stories of all time.
Lastly-saddest Olympic moments:
US Figure Skating World Championship team killed in 1961 plane crash
Next worst-Olympic park bombing and subsequent pursuit of poor Richard Jewel
Worst Olympic momement of all:
Jim McKay-1972 Munich Games Hostage murders
"When I was a kid, my father used to say "Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized." Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They’ve now said that there were eleven hostages. Two were killed in their rooms yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They’re all gone."
Since you said anything Olympics, I have to go with Kerri Strug landing the vault on her sprained ankle.
ReplyDeleteI don't really watch sports.. BUT.. I am from Salt Lake City. With that said, everyone in Salt Lake wanted a piece of something during the Olympics. My Aunt and Uncle had a Kiosk right on Main Street (SL is very small) that we sold delicious fried donuts out of. I had to go through screening and get my cool Olympic badge and I sold donuts. WooHoo right?
ReplyDeleteIt was actually a good time. I was there every night even if to just people watch. My friend works for a nice hotel downtown and scored tickets to one of the closing ceremonies (I think they did one every night) anywho it was the one Alanis Morrisette performed at, so it wasn't too bad. It was just so neat knowing I was there and seeing everyone and being part of history.. kind of :)
On another note. I LOVE womens figure skating but I haven't really been following it since the Katarina Witt days.. I also absolutely loved Oksana Baiul..
i was IN LOVE with Johnny Mosley during the 1998 Olympics when i was 13. IN LOVE. schemed about ways i could meet him. planned on marrying him and having lots of his babies. he always wore that hideous techno-color tie-dyed furry hat and my dad got me one to match and i would wear it in my bedroom (since it was too hideous to wear outside of it) and feel like i was connected to him.
ReplyDeletenow i get to relive that crush while he's doing commentary!
I love the Olympics, winter or summer. My kids and I collect the mascots. We were supposed to go to Vancouver but I lost my job so no go.
ReplyDeleteCurling is my favorite. I've liked it for a long time but really, really started loving it when we lived in MN and actually got to play. We even played at the rink next to the US Hockey hall of fame in the whopping town of Eveleth, MN!
It's really not an easy sport even though it looks kind of silly. All that brooming is hard work! There's lots of strategy too.
i love curling!
ReplyDeleteand my fav Olympic games was my first OG i saw on TV in 1984 at LA!
happy to see curling fans here!
ReplyDeleteSummer--rowing.
ReplyDeleteWinter--short track speed skating, long track second.
Best memory? 2002 Gold for both Canadian Men's and Women's Hockey teams...the streets absolutely overflowed with happy people for hours!!
As far as the actual games go, I have a few, but my favorite memory occurred before the Olympics:
ReplyDeleteI was in Athens, Greece on vacation in spring 1996 (while studying/living in Spain. I was 20). My 2 American friends and I were walking down the street and saw tons of people and police. We followed everyone and wound up outside the Olympic Stadium where they happened to be lighting the Olympic torch on its way to Atlanta for the 1996 Games.
Because the games were heading to the US, they started playing the Star-Spangled Banner. The 3 of us immediately burst into tears and then giggles. I guess we didn't realize how homesick we were. This was month 8 of our year abroad. It was incredible. :)
I love watching all the events...especially the winter Olympics. One of my favorite Olympic memories was watching the big Katerina Witt/Debbie Thomas competition where they both did the Carmen routine. I will never forget how disappointing it was when Debbie Thomas didn't get gold. I still get a little choked up about it. Downhill skiing is by far my favorite event. GO USA!!!!
ReplyDelete@Ellen not to knock Debbie Thomas but a lovely young Canadian got the Silver..Thomas ended up with the Bronze. I love hockey of course being Canadian and growing with an older brother helped..yes when the boys were short a player I was called in to be goalie..a kid yelling "car" and moving the net is as Canadian as Norman Rockwell is to Americans. My favorite memory is of the Canadian men and women's hockey teams winning gold in Salt Lake City..the story of the loonie in the ice is priceless..
ReplyDeleteI can't say as I have a particular favorite moment, but in 1994 and 1998 I loved watching Chen Lu skate. She was never quite good enough to reach the gold, but I thought that girl was magic when she skated.
ReplyDeleteNever saw the '80 hockey game live but the repeats of it are just awesome.
ReplyDeleteThose pissed off Russians crack me up!
The Miracle on Ice the first time I can remember watching the olympics (I would have been 14 then), but watching Mary Lou Retton win the gold in 1984 was the first time I can remember being emotionally invested in any event. I love watching gymnastics, and all forms of ice skating or dancing.
ReplyDeleteI ♥ ♥ ♥ figure skating! Scott Hamilton, Katerina Witt, Michelle Kwan, Surya Bonaly (OMG, that woman is athletic!), Tara Lipinski, Oksana (Yep, I ♥ed her), Brian Boitano (what would he do?), Kurt Browning, and Rudy Galindo. Oh man...they are all awesome. I would love to see Stars on Ice.
ReplyDeleteI also love gymnastics. Shawn Johnson, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, and Svetlana Khorkina (who is 5'3...amazing!). I remember watching the 96 Olympics and freaking out when Dominique fell. Go Kerri!
Errr, that was suppose to be 5'5, not 5'3 lol.
ReplyDeleteI love figure skating!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of figure dancing or pairs, but I did watch pairs this year.
Favorite Olymic performance:
Alexei Yagudin 2002 Short Program. Amazing!
I'm not really impressed with the skaters this year.
I think Evan deserved the gold, but he doesn't really do anything for me.
Plushenko is meh
I'm glad Evan's coach, Frank Carroll has his Gold!
Thanks to YouTube... I got to cry over Mary Lou Retton again, all these years later. :)
ReplyDeleteValerie: "Curling makes me laugh. So absurd that it's an Olympic sport!"
ReplyDeleteAGREEEEEEEE-LOL!
Sex at the Olympics article
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4582421.ece
I love women's gymnastics. Mary Lou Retton winning the gold with her perfect 10 vault is my all-time favorite moment. I used to try to do one over the back of a chair in my living room when I was a kid because I wanted to be like her so much!
ReplyDeleteIce hockey is my favorite sport EVER so naturally it's my favorite Olympic sport. Other than that (because really it's so far ahead that it's not fair to the other sports) I'd say I LOVED the snowboard cross this year. Never really seen it before but it's so exciting!
ReplyDeleteI live outside of Vancouver. I am Canadian, and used to live in Seattle. The thing that I missed most about the USA was the patriotism. Well I am so glad to say thank you to the Olympics (and Molson Canadian commercials) because the patriotism is alive and well in Canada now :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite sports are hockey, ice skating, mogules, ski jumping, for the summer I like gymnastics and that's about it.
The torch came right by my house a week and a half ago, last Saturday I went to one free olympic concert, and tomorrow I'm taking my kids downtown for the day (with our red mittens on even though it's like April right now weather wise) and taking part in history :)
GO TEAM CANADA!
(and then of course, the USA)
Favorite events to watch are figure skating and gymnastics.
ReplyDeleteFavorite moment was Kerri Strug sticking that landing despite her injured ankle.
Hockey and snowboarding all the way!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite moment: Ross Rebagliati winning the first gold medal for snowboarding, having it taken away because he was a toker, and then getting it back.
We used to all joke that he should've been given a second medal for winning with weed in his system; performance enhancing marijuana is NOT.
My favorite moment was January 21, 2010 when I got to carry my olympic torch and pass on the Flame. That was a night to remember. A true honor to meet and share stories with all the other selected torchbearers.
ReplyDeleteI have always watched the figure skating portions of the olympics and will catch whatever else is on when I have nothing better to watch.
I'm with Jen in loving the speed skating! Go Shani!
ReplyDeleteFavorite sport: Ice hockey
ReplyDeleteFavorite moment: Czech Republic winning the gold in 1998 (because Jaromir Jagr is my favorite player)
Favourite sport: um theres a few, in the summer I love the athletics, track cycling, swimming, gymnatics, and of course the eventing and showjumping (I've been riding since I was 5). In the winter the figure skating, the freestyle events, snowboarding events.
ReplyDeleteFavourite Memory: The 1996 Games when Danyon Loader won the 200 and 400 free, NZ's best ever swimmer, and Blyth Tait and Sally Clark winning the Gold and silver in the eventing, that was pretty special.
1984 LA Olympics Summer Games - total groupie! Down in Westwood Village near UCLA. Lots of athletes staying there and partying in the village. Went down several times during the games. Met cute guys from all over the world and managed to see one of new "boyfriends" on TV during the opening ceremonies. Best memory though, was getting a jay-walking ticket one night while in Westwood. I was wearing a semi see-through gauze mini-dress and heels. I was getting cat-called the whole time I was getting written-up. Most of the guys were yelling at the cop to leave me be. So young and silly - and so much fun!
ReplyDeleteI am not into the olympics. My friends were watching curling this weekend which I didn't even know what it was. I thought it was some kind of extreme bicep flexing.
ReplyDeleteMary Lou Retton and her mega-watt smile. She was incredible.
ReplyDelete