Olympics

Today, in Vancouver, shortly after noon, the Olympic countdown clock was revealed to the public in an event attended by supporters and surrounded by the chaos of protesters chanting and protesting the coming of the Olympics.

Here's VANOC official Press Release regarding today’s presentation:

“What’s six metres high, three metres wide, weighs 1,170 kilograms and is wrapped in a 15 metre by 12 metre gift box from Omega on the Vancouver Art Gallery’s northwest corner in downtown Vancouver? It’s the new Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock, presented by Omega, Official Timekeeper. Preparations are underway to unveil it to the citizens of Vancouver, rain or shine, in a fast-paced noon hour celebration on Monday, February 12 – the three-year anniversary to the start of the 2010 Winter Games.”

As mentioned in a previous post, ... Canada's Governor-General, Michaëlle Jean (a Haitian refuge who immigrated to Quebec as a child), and Vancouver Mayor Mayor Sam Sullivan were on hand - along with a phalanx of officers of everykind - to reveal the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympic flag.

I headed out from North Vancouver via transit to attend and watch the pagaentry. After stealthing into the media event, I asked VANOC CEO John Furlong a few questions on a snowy Vancouver morning.

Listen to Olympic Outsider #7 (.m4a)

Every day during March, the 30 Days of Sustainability website will be posting a question of the day. Today's question is about the 2010 games -

How can Vancouver use the 2010 games as an opportunity to advance ourselves as a leader in sustainability?

Please click on the link above to go the site and add your comments. The more the merrier... short or long.

Vancouver needs to be talking about this topic! We have an opportunity to be a world leader in sustainability, and the Olympics are a powerful opportunity for us to model this to the world. Let's not miss it.

Thanks! 

As I have been watching the closing ceremonies in Torino, I am curious what China web access will be like for bloggers and citizen journalists (such as Daily Vancouver) during the Bejing 2008 Summer Olympics.

In the last few months, the filtering and access to Google web content has been in the news.  Other stories regarding the "web control" the Chinese government has imposed on their citizens has also come to the forefront of people's minds.  But, what surprises me is the apparent ignorance the International Olympic Committee.  Listening to the president of the IOC during the closing ceremonies made me question whether or not they really care.  I am sure they are aware of the issues but are they setting a poor example by ignoring the Chinese climate or a great example by extending an olive branch in China's direction?  The president claimed the Olympic Games are a symbol of freedom and fair play. I am surprised the values of the International Olympic Committee would wish for the Olympics to be held in a country that doesn't appear to share such values.

It seems they are more interested in doping and healthy sport rather than the freedoms of the people in the country where their event takes place. And, yes, it is very easy for people that do not live in China to say the government there is "bad" or "controlling". I suppose we just don't understand fully how a culture develops and perhaps such issues should not be commented on by organizations like the IOC.  But, where does the responsibility begin?

I wish the 2008 Summer Games well and I hope it goes incredibly well and breaks down some of the barriers many people see in China. Like the president of the IOC has said, the youth of the world should assemble and make a statement.

I think the statement should be about something else other than about sport. It might be an idea to get some other thoughts about freedom of choice flowing in China. And, quite possibly, the environment in China may change before the games. I hope it does. But, even if it doesn't, I hope the Olympics will rub off a little on the powers in China.

I find it very interesting how the Village People were able to unite the people of the world. I have been watching snippets of the closing ceremonies in Torino but my jaw dropped when the dancers in the stadium started to "break out the moves" when the YMCA song started.

The camera work on the CBC was scanning the crowds and, to my astonishment, people were doing the YMCA moves! Flags from all over the world were being tossed around YMCA excitement.  Canada, Italy, USA, Russia, and others were waving their flags to the YMCA.  The friggin' YMCA song!

I exclaimed:  "See! There is world peace in front of our eyes and everyone is missing it!"

How is this possible?  A dance tune has broken down years of suspicion and history in a few seconds?  I am forced to conclude, the human race should play the YMCA song all around the world and everyone will be able to put aside their differences and boogie down.

The amazing things we can discover from the Olympics. 

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). 

Jennifer Heil from Spruce Grove, Alberta earned Canada's first Gold of the games by winning women's moguls on Saturday in Sauze d'Oulx, Italy while Norway and France logged Silver and Bronze respectively.

The Silver and Brozne medalsits were veteran Kari Traa of Norway, the 2002 Olympic champion (who will likely retire from competetive skiing), and a relative newcomer Sandra Laoura of France took bronze with a fast run.

The Japanese entry was the most acrobatic skiier pulling of a nutty flip and finishing fourth and the Swedish competitor landed a front flip for fifth (IIRC).  Overall, 2-time world champion, Heil's run was smooth, fast and technically sound with decent, if unspectatular, jumps (top air 360 and backflip with crossed skiis).

Along with the SLC Flashback series, I produce a podcast called the Canucks Outsider, the latest episode of which features Dan Funboy and I talking about the upcoming Olympics over beers at the Eastside Club in Olympia, WA.  In this case, mostly the re-vamped Canadian Alpine skiiing team, Men's hockey tourney and ski-jumping.

If you enjoy home-grown commentary (and don't mind moderately ribald hockey talk) then I encourage you to subscribe to the feed for more Olympic chatter over the upcoming games, or you can just download the episode.

In February 2002, Dan Funboy (an encyclopeadia of sporting insight) and me, (Dave Thorvald - writer, podcaster, miscellaniaist) headed south from Olympia, WA to Utah for the duration of the Winter Olympics.

During the following month, we watched while the Games come together, temporary venues erected, and the waves of people cycle through.  Events and subsequent drama unfolded as we attended 25+ events crammed into 13 days of action and activity - including 4 Team Canada Men's hockey matches, Mens and Women's Gold Medal Curling, W's 1/2 pipe Snowboarding, M's Giant Slalom, 120M Ski jump, 10km x-country and the Barenaked Ladies.