Winter Olympics 2018
Discussion
Scabutz said:
Can someone explain what it takes to be a good ski jumper?
Most sports it's obvious what it takes, more power, more endurance, technique etc.
They don't push off hard, thought they might be heavier to get more speed but all look pretty small.
I am guessing aerodynamics in flight are important, is that all there is to it?
From what I recall from coverage of previous games, there's timing the leap at the end of the hill, lots of largely unnoticed micro movements to keep yourself straight and level (more so if there's and breeze at all), knowing when to open for landing, and then the actual landing itself.Most sports it's obvious what it takes, more power, more endurance, technique etc.
They don't push off hard, thought they might be heavier to get more speed but all look pretty small.
I am guessing aerodynamics in flight are important, is that all there is to it?
The thing I just don't get is the freestyle snowboarding!
It's fun to watch, but some of the things that look amazing result in the commentators setting they'll need to up the difficulty in the next round, whilst they're praising the difficulty of other things (especially in the rails) which strike me as looking relatively simple.
Then, of course, there's the language! I might as well watch it in Swahili for all I can understand of the commentary!
It's fun to watch, but some of the things that look amazing result in the commentators setting they'll need to up the difficulty in the next round, whilst they're praising the difficulty of other things (especially in the rails) which strike me as looking relatively simple.
Then, of course, there's the language! I might as well watch it in Swahili for all I can understand of the commentary!
Scabutz said:
Can someone explain what it takes to be a good ski jumper?
Most sports it's obvious what it takes, more power, more endurance, technique etc.
They don't push off hard, thought they might be heavier to get more speed but all look pretty small.
I am guessing aerodynamics in flight are important, is that all there is to it?
Absolutely massive balls that joy can retract at will to reduce wind resistance?Most sports it's obvious what it takes, more power, more endurance, technique etc.
They don't push off hard, thought they might be heavier to get more speed but all look pretty small.
I am guessing aerodynamics in flight are important, is that all there is to it?
Mr E said:
Scabutz said:
Can someone explain what it takes to be a good ski jumper?
Most sports it's obvious what it takes, more power, more endurance, technique etc.
They don't push off hard, thought they might be heavier to get more speed but all look pretty small.
I am guessing aerodynamics in flight are important, is that all there is to it?
Absolutely massive balls that joy can retract at will to reduce wind resistance?Most sports it's obvious what it takes, more power, more endurance, technique etc.
They don't push off hard, thought they might be heavier to get more speed but all look pretty small.
I am guessing aerodynamics in flight are important, is that all there is to it?
It's about timing, posture and confidence (balls).
Did a couple tiny jumps in Austria a few years ago and it is harder than it looks. Just launching recklessly off the ramp normally ends in a big crash. Like that ITV show a while back, when so many slebs got injured (assuming they weren't faked).
55palfers said:
I suspect not many folk care one way or the other about WO.
BBC making a meal of it as usual.
The time zone isn't helping. All the action is when people are asleep or working (or doing other weekend things). Watching it on repeat isn't as good; I'm finding it hard to get engaged this time around. I guess we can't always have these things on Euro-compatible time zones. Unfortunately the next Summer Games in Tokyo are going to suffer the same problem.BBC making a meal of it as usual.
The BBC commentators/presenters are fairly annoying too. And why bloody Balding again. Is there nobody else that the BBC can throw hundreds of thousands at for a change?
The whole Russia ban thing seems a bit farcical. "Olympic Athlete from Russia".
Apart from that it's all great!
55palfers said:
I suspect not many folk care one way or the other about WO.
BBC making a meal of it as usual.
Just because you presumably don't care about it, you've decided that the whole of the rest of the planet doesn't care about it either, yet you care enough about it to come onto a thread about it just to say that you don't think people care about it? BBC making a meal of it as usual.
I think it's great, personally, although I'm much more inclined to watch it if I happen to have managed a skiing holiday in that particular year (three weeks to Val D'Isere!
).Sure, there are some sports I'm not fussed about - standard speed skating is utterly soporiphic compared to speed skating, for example, I find cross-country skiing no more of a spectator sport than marathon running and the ice dancing / figure skating doesn't do anything for me - but other than that, I love the adrenaline sports even when I've got no idea what's actually going on.
kev1974 said:
The time zone isn't helping. All the action is when people are asleep or working (or doing other weekend things). Watching it on repeat isn't as good; I'm finding it hard to get engaged this time around. I guess we can't always have these things on Euro-compatible time zones. Unfortunately the next Summer Games in Tokyo are going to suffer the same problem.
And the next winter games are in Beijing - who knew that was a winter sports destination. I don’t know whether there were a lack of other candidate cities, but it seems odd to have three games in a row in the same locale. Our selfish view but it is poor timing for pretty much the whole Western Hemisphere. abzmike said:
And the next winter games are in Beijing - who knew that was a winter sports destination. I don’t know whether there were a lack of other candidate cities, but it seems odd to have three games in a row in the same locale. Our selfish view but it is poor timing for pretty much the whole Western Hemisphere.
How dare you besmirch the previously unblemished reputation of the IOC!!!! 
You should realise that by the year 2022, all winter sports will take place at an altitude of 45 metres above sea level in cities with average daytime temperatures in February of 5 degrees Centigrade and typically one day of precipitation between November - February!
After all, what possible other answer could there be?
Kermit power said:
How dare you besmirch the previously unblemished reputation of the IOC!!!!
You should realise that by the year 2022, all winter sports will take place at an altitude of 45 metres above sea level in cities with average daytime temperatures in February of 5 degrees Centigrade and typically one day of precipitation between November - February!
After all, what possible other answer could there be?
Indeed... why not Dubai in 2026 - they have the snowshed.You should realise that by the year 2022, all winter sports will take place at an altitude of 45 metres above sea level in cities with average daytime temperatures in February of 5 degrees Centigrade and typically one day of precipitation between November - February!
After all, what possible other answer could there be?
It would be interesting to hear a sponsors perspective - from what I can see this games seems to be a Samsung trade show - connected passion and all that. Asia is a huge growth region, but sponsors with a European or Americas focus may well get cheesed off.
kev1974 said:
The BBC commentators/presenters are fairly annoying too. And why bloody Balding again.
This is ruining it for me. The event commentators superb as always but the studio segments are crap, Chemmy Alcot is seriously annoying, she’s crap on ski Sunday also! Whereas Amy Williams is a natural. Elise Christie crashed out https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/13/elis... . Is it me or does she come across as a whiny, cry baby without any talent like Paloma Faith , oh and speaks like her also ?
Edited by Rider007 on Tuesday 13th February 15:02
Rider007 said:
Elise Christie crashed out https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/13/elis... . Is it me or does she come across as a whiny, cry baby without any talent like Ellie Goulding , oh and speaks like her also ?
Glad I’m not the only one 
Rider007 said:
Elise Christie crashed out https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/13/elis... . Is it me or does she come across as a whiny, cry baby without any talent like Ellie Goulding , oh and speaks like her also ?
So as far as you're concerned, being the reigning Overall (as well as individual 1,000m & 1,500m) World Champion, 500m World Record holder and ten times winner of European Championship Gold medals makes her "a whiny cry baby without any talent" does it? Of course, she only managed to pick up 4th place in the 500m and 3rd in the 3,000m at last year's World Championships, so I suppose maybe that's what makes her talentless?
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