PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics - preliminaries & schedule (GENERAL)

[Elizabeth]

The Olympics, barring a catastrophe, will take place in South Korea from February 8-25, 2018.

At a joint New York-Seoul ceremony this evening the medals were revealed

The Korean Hangul alphabet was incorporated into the medals’ edges to spell what translates to “PyeongChang Winter Olympics.”

[happyheini]

Hmmm, they look kinda plain, but I guess for the athletes it is the achievement rather than what the hardware around their necks looks like.

[fred]

Well they are textured with those roughly horizontal lines, & yes it's as simple theme, but simplicity can have it's beauty to. When I saw the photo of them I said to myself, "I want one!" but unless the curling team needs a last minute replacement, My chances are low. (:-))
There was a story years ago about a guy at the winter Olympics as a spectator & someone on the bobsled team was sick or injured. They just went out & apparently asked the crowd if there were any Canadians nearby who could sit in for him. One fellow said, "Sure." and he did what they told him and sat in the sled for the required number of runs and they won the Gold Medal, which he accepted & then never did it again in his life, but he had an Olympic Gold medal with no training nor conditioning.

[Elizabeth]

And now the Olympic flame has been lit in Greece, travelled by plane to South Korea, and Yuna Kim helped light the first torch to begin the torch run. The Games are 100 days away

[kittykins]

Well they are textured with those roughly horizontal lines, & yes it's as simple theme, but simplicity can have it's beauty to. When I saw the photo of them I said to myself, "I want one!" but unless the curling team needs a last minute replacement, My chances are low. (:-))
There was a story years ago about a guy at the winter Olympics as a spectator & someone on the bobsled team was sick or injured. They just went out & apparently asked the crowd if there were any Canadians nearby who could sit in for him. One fellow said, "Sure." and he did what they told him and sat in the sled for the required number of runs and they won the Gold Medal, which he accepted & then never did it again in his life, but he had an Olympic Gold medal with no training nor conditioning.

Wow, that's an incredible story Fred!

[Elizabeth]

Australia appears to be the first country to name the team of figure skaters who will represent them at the Winter Olympics and history has been made at the same time with their first Indigenous Winter Olympian. Read all about it here: http://pyeongchang2018.olympics.com.au/ ... ympic-team

[Elizabeth]

You may have just heard a huge sigh of relief from Germany (and from Lake Placid) - the way has finally been cleared for Bruno Massot to receive German citizenship and passport in order to compete in pairs at the Olympics! Bruno had failed the language test more than once and recently had his last chance to retry it. According to a post from the skating federation today, he is being granted citizenship (although it doesn't mention if he actually passed that test)!

I'm sure there is a very large smile on Aliona's face as they practice today in Lake Placid for Skate America, their second GP event of this season

Comments from the press mixed zone during practices today as tweeted by Lynn Rutherford:

Mixed zone notes: Bruno Massot was so happy he passed his citizenship language test, he could not stop laughing. "I can really enjoy what I do now. This weight is out of my body, I feel really light. Everything is easier because I don’t have something else to fear now."

More on this from IceNetwork: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/11/23/262387284

[Elizabeth]

Following the GPF, here are the standings for qualifying for the team event at the Olympics:

As I understand it, 10 countries compete in the initial (SP) round and then the field is cut back for the free program round.

[Elizabeth]

The ISU has posted information and clarifications about the team event: http://isu.org/docman-documents-links/i ... event/file

[happyheini]

Good to know, thank you Elizabeth. I will be on holidays for most of the skating event, abut hope to be able to see at least some of it in the Hotel.

[Elizabeth]

NBC TV managed to convince the IOC to schedule the figure skating events to coincide with prime-time TV schedules on the East Coast of the USA.

According to Sports Illustrated at https://www.si.com/olympics/2017/10/18/ ... g-schedule, their TV schedule will look like this:

• Thursday, Feb. 8 - Team event: Men's and pairs short programs - 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 10 - Team event: Short dance, ladies short, pairs free - 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 11 - Team event: Men's & ladies free skate, free dance - 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 13 - Pairs short program - 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 14 - Pairs free skate - 8:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 15 - Men's short program - 8:00 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 16 - Men's free skate - 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 18 - Ice dance short dance - 8:00 p.m.
• Monday, Feb. 19 - Ice dance free dance - 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 20 - Ladies short program - 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 22 - Ladies free skate - 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 24 - Exhibition gala - 7:30 p.m.

Times and dates are EST. Medals will be awarded at bolded times.

No word yet on CBC's plans for TV and live stream.

[happyheini]

Thanks for that schedule, Elizabeth. Since am away for most of the time I will set my PVR and hope it will record so I can watch it afterwards.

[Elizabeth]

Big figure skating news from North Korea with a Canadian connection: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ ... -1.4476959

[fred]

That's lovely news. I hope they do well,... not well enough to beat Canada, of course, but well.

[Elizabeth]

The ISU has made a statement about the possible participation of North Korean skaters at the Olympics: http://www.isu.org/news-inside-isu/145- ... teParam=15

The ISU noted and welcomes the discussions currently taking place between the governments of the Republic of Korea (KOR) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (PRK) also involving a possible participation of PRK Skaters in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

The ISU confirms that the PRK competitors in Pair Skating (Figure Skating) had met all the necessary technical requirements to participate in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. However, the PRK National Olympic Committee (NOC) has not confirmed the participation of the Pair within the set deadline and the available quota place has consequently been transferred to the next NOC in line (Japan). In the case of a formal PRK NOC request for a late entry, the matter would have to be referred to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a final decision relating to the late entry as well as the increase of participants in the 2018 Olympic Pair Skating competition. 

[fred]

I think it would be very wise to allow them to participate. It could improve diplomatic relations among the nations and maybe even lessen the chance of a war, (maybe I'm stretching that a bit), but it would be nice to allow them to participate.

[Elizabeth]

I believe the intent is to let them participate - the issue is to increase the number of pairs teams participating by one so that the team from Japan doesn't have to be removed from the list of qualified teams who met the criteria, including the registration deadline.

[kittykins]

Big figure skating news from North Korea with a Canadian connection: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ ... -1.4476959

That's great. I believe in the past North and South Korea have competed under the same "flag" as unified for the Olympic games. It's a good move if they want to do so.

Thanks for the schedule. I'm very glad only one event is affected by my choir practice, so I should be able to see most of the events...nice to be retired! (although the skating events will be in the evening)

[Elizabeth]

Canadian Olympic Team members for figure skating announced: https://skatecanada.ca/2018/01/canadian ... hang-2018/

[Elizabeth]

CBC press release about their broadcast team for the Olympics: http://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/press-rel ... orters-for

[Elizabeth]

And now history regarding the flag bearers: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/watch ... -1.4489152

Now I know why they flew to Ottawa with me yesterday!

[Elizabeth]

Read more here: https://olympic.ca/2018/01/16/virtue-mo ... g-bearers/

[happyheini]

Hurra for them, they surely have earned this honor. The photos however are a bit over the top and bordering on Kitsch in my opinion.
I had a wonderful, exciting, emotional and memorable experience at my first life Championship event. Being there is really so much more powerful than watching it on TV.
A special thank you to Elizabeth for helping to make this such a fun time for me - it was a birthday present to myself.

[Elizabeth]

I had a wonderful, exciting, emotional and memorable experience at my first life Championship event. Being there is really so much more powerful than watching it on TV.
A special thank you to Elizabeth for helping to make this such a fun time for me - it was a birthday present to myself.

It was great to spend time with you, Heini!

[Elizabeth]

Good news for Japan - Yuzuru Hanyu is back to practicing, apparently to compete at the Olympics: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018 ... g-jsf.html