Winter Olympics from Pyeongchang

[theclaud]

Googled this last night and found a discussion saying that because the men are stronger (especially the sweepers) they can play the game entirely differently. Men can throw stones hard enough to knock 3 or 4 other stones out of the scoring in one swipe so their games are about laying out blocking stones to prevent this. The woman's game is far more subtle and nuanced. Mixing the teams would see all the women's delicate play destroyed with single shots by the men.

Never played it so just going by the Reddit conversation.

Give over!

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Give over!

Oh good, we have an aficionado of the game here. Do share with us why they don't play mixed teams.

 

[Crackle]

They do play mixed teams but let's not facts get in the way, eh.

 

[theclaud]

Oh good, we have an aficionado of the game here. Do share with us why they don't play mixed teams.

Says the geezer who just Googled it and whose source of authority on the matter is Reddit. Which is full of gems like this:

Men tend to have deeper voices, which makes it easier for a skip to yell at their sweepers. Many women have higher pitch voices, which dont carry as well inside of a crowded arena.
​

So there you have it! Post whatever wildly implausible theories you like - just don't expect everyone else to take them seriously.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Claire Balding and her band of pundits are annoying the tits off me already.

There should be a limit to how long Balding is permitted on our screens; about 10 seconds a year would seem about right

 

[nickyboy]

Oh good, we have an aficionado of the game here. Do share with us why they don't play mixed teams.

Well I've vegged out and watched more curling than is probably good for me. There doesn't seem to be any meaningful difference in tactics between mens' and womens'. No commentators have alluded to it either. I reckon that Reddit discussion is bollocks

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Some people would have an argument with a stick in a sack I reckon.

 

[Reynard]

Have you seen the troosers the Norwegians are wearing for the GB match?

The dead heat in the 2-man bob was pretty cool.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Have you seen the troosers the Norwegians are wearing for the GB match?

The dead heat in the 2-man bob was pretty cool.

I like the Norwegian ski jumper’s moustache. I want one.

 

[Beebo]

Poor old Elise Christie, another yellow card disqualification.
Seems harsh again but maybe she just tries too hard.

 

[AndyRM]

Poor old Elise Christie, another yellow card disqualification.
Seems harsh again but maybe she just tries too hard.

It does seem like the judges have something against her, I'd be interested to see the angles they are using to make their decisions because from the TV shots we are shown I don't see that she's doing anything different to the other skaters! It's great fun to watch but the lack of information about decisions is very frustrating.

 

[Bollo]

I'm just watching the interview with her now. Mixed opinions from the experts, but I think she was on a loser anyway with a knackered ankle.

 

[Beebo]

"Look, Elise, this is only the Olympics. Don't try too hard, OK?"

There is a very fine balance between not trying hard enough and trying too hard.

 

[Bollo]

A more concrete issue that's been pointed out is that funding for a sport at the elite level is determined by Olympic results, not results in World Cup-type competitions. Unless the criteria are modified, there's a chance short-track might not be funded for the next Olympics. This might become a real issue if the crowd-funded women's bobsleigh pull out a result as they'd have a good argument to receive something from the pot in preference to short-track. The snowboarding events might also make a bid.

There are other challenges to the ice-based events as well. Many of the 'new town' rinks are under-invested and reaching the end of their life, some under threat of closure. Combine this with NISA's determination to centralise everything around the Nottingham rink and the pool of potential future talent is being reduced. If Elise Christie were a teenager today, I'd take a strong bet she'd be on a British Cycling academy programme and not tooling around a rink.

 

[Reynard]

I like the Norwegian ski jumper’s moustache. I want one.

Yeap, that's a 'tache and a half...

Wouldn't look out of place on a WW2 RAF fighter pilot.