downhill skiing

20Km W's Cross-country Skiiing 

Estonia's Kristina Smigun opened the medal count for the former-Soviet, Baltic countries with a Gold in 15km pursuit Cross-Country (the race in which Canada's Beckie Scott finished 6th).  Katerina Neumannova from Czech Republic took Silver finishing about a second behind while Russia's Evgenia Medvedeva-Abruzova scored the Bronze medal.  Beside Beckie's 6th, Canada's Sara Renner of Canmore, AB., finished 16th in a discipline which saw numerous competetitors already suspended for 5 days for high blood hempglobin levels or something.

Greetings this Sunday Morning!

Just a couple of observations from last night's and this mornings events from coverage I've managed to catch - augmented by a few notes by Dan Funboy.

Besides Jennifer Heil's awesome performance and Women's Hockey rolling over Italy (as I type they are leading Russia 10-0), i enjoyed an inspired performance by Italian long-strack speed skater (insert name here), who absolutely looked like he was being pushed by the Italian crowd.  Great to see the homer country get on the medal board early too.

More about Speed skating, that hotshot American kid is fast and determined, watch his technique, a double push but they'll likely talk about this on TV-coverage.  CBC has Catroina LeMay Doan doing color commentary and she was quite good (though she looks rather soccer-mom-ish now - cause well, ... she probably is) but she called on Canada to support more and help the athletes to "own the podium" (the Canadian mantra).