I didn't say that Emily didn't deserve to be on the team. She is now based on her Nationals performance, just like Alissa is not based on her Nationals performance (sniffle).

I will say that if you asked anyone who follows US Women's Figure Skating prior to Nationals, I doubt you would have had many include Emily Hughes in the top 3 over Michelle (IF she was in fact healthy), Sasha Cohen, Alissa Czisny, or Kimmie Meissner. I tended to place Emily with Katy Taylor, Danielle Kahle, Bebe Liang (if she could just once put together a short AND a long program!!!) and a healthy Sandy Rucker.

I also love Kristy Yamaguchi, but I would not say that she "ranks" higher than Michelle Kwan in terms of career stats just because she won Olympic Gold. Kristy fell during her long program and got the gold anyway because she had very little competition. Michelle's performance at Nagano would have been a gold medal in any other Olympics. Michelle dominated at a time when there was a lot more competition with the rise of the Eastern bloc in female skating and the amazing skaters the US has produced. It seems to me that she is the exception to the basic rule of figure skating that if you don't win the gold your career is incomplete. I am glad she stepped down rather than performed poorly, closing her career with a bad skate. Let's face it, they are going to give this gold to Irina Slutskaya even though she is a horrible skater. I am not sure who told her that running her hands wildly through her hair = artistic impression.

Hey, that move is worth 9.5 in COP!! :p

lmao!:D

did Canada's womens team lose today?? they were down 3-0 with 10 minutes left in the game last time I saw a score

When I first saw them, I poked my hubby & said Look honey! They get Gold, Silver, & Bronze donuts!

:confused: Canada didn't play today - their next game is Wed. against Sweden....

Are you confusing curling with hockey? Canada lost 7-5 against Sweden in curling.

Michelle Kwan may be a technically better skater than Kristy Yamaguchi was, but Kristy had a personality that shined through, like the Mary Lou Retton perkiness that made her more fun to watch. That was what made her more fun to watch, in my opinion.

I'm so glad I get CBC so that I know what curling is :D NBC rarely, if ever, shows it and it's usually just to say "Look at this weird sport that you only see at the Olympics". However, there is now a place in Detroit where you can go curling.

IF Canada's women's hockey team loses, it will be to the US. And this year, I think that's a big IF.

I could have sworn Canada was playing today...I was standing in line at one fo the sports stores here and they had a game on...I watched a few minutes of it while I was standing there, I could have sworn it was Canada v. Sweden...hell I dont know maybe I am losing my mind

You must have been watching another game. Perhaps Russia or the Swiss. They also have red and white uniforms.

Canada played Sweden today and lost. But there was not hockey.

That's so sad. Curling is a lot of fun. Well it's actually a lot more fun to play than to watch.

i thought it was odd that canada was down, but i figured hey anything can happen.

curling is kinda fun to watch...i am watching the US v. Finland right now...i dont understand it but it is kinda fun to watch

Can I just say that the Toronto Sun sucks!!!! They are the worst newspaper in the history of all newspapers.

Their headline today was "Just a Bronze". Cindy Klassen won bronze yesterday in speed skating. Yes, she was a gold medal hopful, but to criticies her performance like that. The Sun is disgusting and they should be ashamed.

Why do people in this city still read that crap.

Curling doesn't have a lot following in the US, but there is (or at least used to be) a Denver Curling Club with it's own building just North of downtown.

I have actually really enjoyed watching the snowboarding. I don't really know a lot about it....but is sure is exciting. I usually only watch figure skating and maybe a little skiing...but now I have really become a fan of the snowboarding.

You are so right - that personality gives so much to a performance! I used to tape every one of Kristy's performances, and try to do at least part of them. Did you ever see her skate to "100% Pure Love"? That has to be my all-time favorite - it's 100% Pure Kristy Power!! I couldn't do that footwork without skates!! I still enjoy the few times I see her!

Which is not taking anything away from Michelle. There are other skaters, who shall remain nameless, who may be technically good but soooo boring to watch!

usa needs to get their act together and win more medals. this is suppose to be the strongest delegation ever for a winter olympics.

easier said than done. i know. but still.

wow, did you all see the crashes yesterday? i only saw it late last night when they were doing recaps. 4 crashes in the women's alpine skiing, another in luge or something, and then some in skating.

Maybe it's because the Sun is easier to read? I heard that out of the four papers, the Sun (Grade 5??) is written at the lowest grade level and the Globe at the highest (Grade 8??).

BTW, Canada beats Sweden 8-1 in women's hockey.

You just wanted to hear the cool 80's music.

I think Kelly Clark should have medaled last night.

I'm not talking about the music. I talking about when the people, not countries, when introduced, like the president and mayors. And it was 70s music, Bob was wrong.

Anyway, a big round of applause to Zhang and Zhang for that continuation of the program. In case you don't know what happened, Zhang and Zhang were attempting a throw quad salcow. Zhang (the female) landed awkardly on her knees. They stopped for a few minutes to see if she can continue and she did. They skated wonderfully enough for a silver medal. They were well out of a gold medal.

If the US don't get their act together, then the media will come down hard on them.

YAY CANADA!!!!

Yes, I have also heard the same thing about The Sun. Although I heard that The Sun was at a grade 3 reading level, The Star at grade 5 and the Globe at grade 8.

I was just so disgusted at their front page headline the other day.

ETA: Canada won another medal today. Silver in women's team sprint (Sara Renner & Beckie Scott).

The Olympic Committee and Michelle Kwan didn't do Emily Hughes any favor. They screwed her. Hughes shouldn't have to be gracious about anything. Michelle Kwan didn't deserve to be on the team to begin with. Sasha Cohn, Kim Meisner and Hughes were the top finishers at the national even that was supposed to determine the team.

not exactly. only the winner of nationals was guarenteed an olympic spot. the other two spots were determined by the skating committee.

Like I said, they screwed her. The team shouldn't be determined by some douchbags in a boardroom.

I think you're right about the grade levels, though I think The Star is Grade 6, not Grade 5. Any idea what the Post is?

I have no idea what the post is. I would venture a guess that it's probably similar to that of the Globe.

Congrats to the USA womens hockey team for staying undefeated by beating Finland 7-3 today...I got kinda scared when I turn the game on less than a minute into it and we were down 1-0...but they fought back from an eventual 3-1 deficet...the first three goals they have given up in the olympics by the way...a matchup between the US and Canada should be fun to watch

First, it's Sasha Cohen, and Kimmie Meissner. If you're going to argue about figure skating, get the names right first. Sasha Cohen is a beautiful and great skater - technically and artistically - but she lacks the "oomph" that Kristi Yamaguchi puts into a program.

Kimmie Meissner doesn't have a consistant triple axel, and although she's a hard worker, she's not scheduled to try one in the Olympics. It took a 3 1/2 rotation axel for her to take third in the Nationals - so how's she so much better prepared?

Emily Hughes is a wild card. Of course, she's good, or she wouldn't have made it as far as she did - but nobody knows much about her. She would have to land a triple-triple and have two of the cleanest skates of her life to even be in the Top Five. As I said before, that was determined weeks ago, and I guarantee you, Emily Hughes wasn't even on the Top Ten list. Sure, this will give her Olympic exposure, and maybe in four years, she'll be good - but it's set the USFSA back eight years.

just think what would happen if the skaters in that national competition were under age 15 and made top 5. they would then have to go back down in the rankings and pick the sucky ones older enought to send to the olympics.

I wasn't even going to watch skating last night but my mom called (and woke me up) saying "phantom of the opera" and of course I'm like "what the hell". She demanded I turn on NBC and I got the end of the long program, so I kept watching. Anyways, I was shocked that they (Zhang and Zhang) were trying the quad (especially when the announcers said that they only successfully completed the quad like 40% during practice, which to me aren't great odds to be attempting an extremely diffcult throw). The way she landed. OMG. I felt so bad for her and I'm 7,000 miles away.

I was happy that they were still able to recieve a medal. It makes me wonder though if falls where someone is possibly injured at docked less than a fall where someone isn't injured? (If that made any sense at all).


BTW does anyone know the music the Russian Pairs couple skated too? I know I've heard it before, but for the life of me I couldn't figure it out. When I'm humming along (and ahead), know the music. I think it might be a soundtrack of some sort. GRRR I hate that I can't remember the name. :D

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong (as I'm sure they will!), but Michelle Kwan was 13 the first time she qualified for the Olympics.

I also was thinking that Tara Lipinski was 14 when she won gold...the 16 age-limit could be a recent rule or a rule for other countries :confused:

(ETA: Went and checked - Tara was 15 when she won, and Michelle WAS 13 in 1994 when she was an alternate for the team)

I was watching the Olympic Ice Program today on USA, and the two commentators (Sele and Pelletier (I may be misspelling his name here)) were mentioning that they were lucky that they didn't miss any of their planned elements during the time until they could "restart" their program - that may have helped them maintain their medal position, based on the new scoring system, more than the possible "docking less" of a fall where someone could potentially be injured (although, there still is some objectivity in the "presentation" marks).

Just saw this on another message board, and I heartily agree:

"Sasha better not choke and has to medal, or we're screwed for 2010!"

For those who don't know, only the countries who medal can send three figure skaters; the rest can only send two.

wow, quite the negative nelly, eh? ;)

Kwan is a popular skater and has name recognition but name recognition and olympic tv ratings doesn't do jack for the medal count.

They changed the rule after Tara won the Gold.

question: do the athletes have to pay for their own trip to turino (plane tickets, housing, etc)? or is that paid for?

also, what is the difference between the luge and skeleton events? they look the same to me. this morning i saw a preview for 2-man luge, umm thats kind of....yeah

Skeleton is head first, lie on stomach, luge is feet first, lie on back.