Days 3&4 "The Glitch Games"

I had to laugh when I heard these games referred to as "The Glitch Games." Following the China experience would be tough for any country, but the Winter Games and a much smaller budget is making it a tough compare for our neighbors to the north.

First the pre-games tragedy, the minor flame lighting issue and the warm weather. Now there is a "free the flame" protest because people apparently can't get as close to the cauldron as they would like. Sounds like idle whining to me. The long speed skating delay where they had to resurface the ice twice between heats? This is an indoor rink, so that is a major glitch. Errors in the time stagger for the starts of both the women's and men's biathlon pursuit on Monday? Computers and human race officials fail when a guy with a list of times and a stopwatch could easily do the job. Another glitch. I am personally disappointed with all of the difficulty with the satellite feed. It feels more like a battlefield report from the mountains of Afghanistan than a sporting event broadcast from just across the border in Canada.

But I don't care if there are a few glitches. The Olympics are not about perfection, so I am not going to let a few problems ruin this fortnight for me. On to the observations for Days 3/4...

Sno-bo cross: I'll save the dog racing analogy for short track, because watching snowboard cross reminds me more of moto-cross with the tight turns and aerial jumps, with a wipeout always seemingly a moment away. I was shocked when my Google search couldn't find any reference to sno-bo cross, but I guess this blog post will be on the top line of future searches. While it is officially snowboard cross, it is also called Boarder Cross, Snowboard X, and SBX. Interesting note: the first snowboard cross competition took place in 1991 at the Whistler-Blackcomb resort, the current Olympic venue.

Simul-cam: I know it isn't new, but I really like this technology for comparing racers in different heats. It is especially good for skiing.

Medal count update: Did the Russian athletes miss the boat to Vancouver? Going into Day 4, Russia had just one medal (bronze) and trailed both parts of the former Czechoslovakia in the medal standings. This will likely change in the coming days, and it looks like Germany is finding its rhythm after its own slow start. I can still see a 1-2 finish for Germany and Canada.

DQ for not making weight: Okay, this is a strange one. It is not in wrestling or boxing where weight makes a difference, but in luge, a sport with no weight limit. Without going into too much detail, women who weigh less than 165 lbs. can carry added weight to race (roughly 75% of the difference between 165 and their weight). First time Olympian Aya Yasuda (132 lbs) of Japan showed up at the weigh-in with extra weight about a half pound over the limit. Her first Olympic experience is over. I understand the zero tolerance policy for drug testing and other cheating, but couldn't they just have her remove the extra half pound and weigh in again? Disqualification seems outside of the "Olympic spirit" for this one.

Pregnant Olympian: In only the third known occurrence, Canadian Curler Kristie Moore is participating in these games while 5 months pregnant. She is an alternate on the gold medal favored home squad. She will not be the first pregnant winter gold medalist if Canada prevails. That honor went to Swedish figure skater Magda Julin in the Antwerp games, 90 years ago! Skeleton slider Diana Sartor of Germany was also expecting when she took fourth place in the 2006 Turin games.

Shadow: I am sure the Westminster Dog Show's TV ratings are down substantially this year. But it did seem to get more local and national press than the Daytona 500 over the weekend. Congrats to Best in Show winner Sadie, the Scottish Terrier.

Cool 11: A disappointing couple of days for me in this category. The simul-cam is very cool. And an unexpected visitor (pic below) showing up at the bottom of the ski hill for practice runs was noteworthy. I am looking forward to seeing the Ghanian "Snow Leopard" on the slopes when the skiing is finally able to start, but I don't think he is related to this lynx.