Winter Olympics

[Poacher]

Has anyone watched the speed skating team pursuit ? I just watched the semi-finals and finals of the women's event, and it was ...odd

Three skaters start and all must finish, but no team changed the order or their members. The same skater that started in the front lead all the way around until the end - it seemed a very strange event, two of the three skater just followed the leader, adding nothing. I assume I am missing something tactically or some subtle technique, otherwise it is simply how fast can your slowest team member go when hiding behind someone else ?Nothing like pursuit cycling; I am not saying that it is better or worse, just don't really see the point.

p.s. The winners, the Canadian team, their leader was at least 6' tall, dwarfing the other two who sheltered behind her all the way around

Unlike cycling pursuit, the other team members can, and do, push the leader. Not sure how much this helps though!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

And for all you curling fans out there (@Mad Doug Biker and even the every four year ones), you might find this article of interest.

I've been timing at events and before a game or whatever, he'll just come into our area as if he's a random guy off the street, there's no heirs and graces at all. I said previously that I have played his brother, Collin, who is a really nice guy too (even if he does play for E... E... Eng... Engl*nd! 😆).

As a timer, there was one game with Bruce where I just had to say 'wow!', because he played 2 shots within 20 seconds (20 seconds on the game clock, not it real life, but even so, he was QUICK!). That was great to watch, he was just relentless and most of his games finish well before other people's because he is so efficient!

Other Curlers are also nice...
Jen Dodds once got a bit concerned for me because I was so cold when timing that I had started to shiver violently (you are largely sat still for 2 hours in an ice rink, go figure).

Other players I have developed a mild complex about, due to various reasons, but they will remain nameless.

Even Rhona Martin (now Rhona Howie), Skip of the 2002 Salt Lake City gold medal winning team, is never far away and can be seen at things. Eve Muirhead too
as well as David Murdoch (but not as much now. To me anyway).