Posted: Feb 16, 1:32a ET | Updated: Feb 16, 1:42a ET
VANCOUVER -- Bode Miller was himself, skiing with a controlled abandon, winning, then ending the day with a memorable quote. Still it's good to have him back. This and other takeaways from Day 4 of the Games.
1. Comebacks and bodacious quotes are cool
Bode Miller talks about the emotions of winning the bronze medal in the men's downhill on Feb. 15, and analyzes his run.
In 2006, Bode Miller was the centerpiece of Torino buzz. He turned in a fifth, a sixth, two DNFs and a DQ, which translated into a major floperino in Italy. Away from the glare and minus the hype in Whistler, Miller whisked to U.S. ski history Monday, finishing third in the downhill, winning a bronze. To remind us he's still good ol' Bode, he spoke of his achievement of becoming the first U.S. male Alpine skier to win three Olympic medals.
"You don't want to go the Tonya Harding route of winning medals," Miller said. "If you wanted just strictly to win medals, you could go through a whole long start list of racers and just go to their house in the offseason -- break a leg here, pull out a shoulder socket there -- and you'd probably have a whole bunch of medals." Bode's back!
2. Near perfection is a beautiful thing
The People's Republic of China has been pretty good at revolutions the past 60 years or so, but the twirls and tosses of Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo in pairs figure skating were darn near perfection. Oh, they made a couple of mistakes that insiders noticed, but they skated with such authority and synchronicity, giving their nation its first Olympic gold in figure skating. A lovely puncuation mark to Day 4.
3. How embarrassing
Olympic Games are about sports, but they are also about precise logistics and finger-snapping organization. Lack of snow is no one's fault except Mother Nature's. But manicuring indoor ice to perfection is a necessary art at a Winter Games. If you can't make or resurface ice, the legitimacy of the world's most prestigious athletic event melts away. An hour's delay at the men's speed skating venue was the biggest embarrassment of the early days of these Games.
4. Snowboarding rules
How can't you smile when you see those guys, weaving down the mountain, leaping and flying and getting air, making oohs, creating aahs, crashing and, then, sliding into the finish line inches apart. It's just giggly fun. That American Seth Wescott won the snowboard cross two Olympics in a row is a testament to - what? His balance? His luck?
5. Flag bearing is their victory
On the one hand, it's important to strive for increased diversity in these Games dominated by the Northern Hemisphere West and Asia. Unlike the Summer Olympics, the Winter Games don't show the full face of the world. So, we have a gaggle of athletes from non-snow nations who become "Olympic tourists." They add to the palette of the Games, and to the pathos. In today's 15-kilometer cross-country ski race, the Opening Ceremony flag bearers from Ethiopia, Nepal, Peru and Portugal were among the 95 competitors. Predictably, they finished 92nd, 93rd, 94th and 95th.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment