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That was the Olympics that was
Friday February 26, 2010 - Email this article to a friend
Almost. It's hard to believe it is ending this weekend after the build up and sporting action over the last 2 weeks; but it is. So what have you made of it all and has the event and Team GB lived up to expectations?
It began with some negativity particularly over the weather.
Cypress Mountain was bereft of natural snow and other events, including the Men's Downhill, postponed as the weather played its part.
Tragically a competitor from Georgia died while training for the luge and it overshadowed the start of The Games and the opening ceremony.
But the ski and snowboard cross seemed to capture the imagination and the alpine skiing events have been thrilling to watch with no one skier dominating either the men's or women's events.
Here at PlanetSKI we have thoroughly enjoyed it all and have ended up writing much more on it than we planned to do.
However, we have been speaking to some senior people from the BBC out in Vancouver who have expressed disappointment that Team GB has not done better and grabbed the nation's attention.
For that the team needs to get, or be in contention for, medals.
Drake in Olympic action. But, in our opinion, on the ski slopes Team GB did OK with Ed Drake performing very respectably.
Chemmy Alcott perhaps could have done better, even though she did get an 11th place in the Super Combined that equalled her 11th position in Turin 4 years ago.
Overall though she would have wanted to have got some higher places in her events.
The fact that Lindsey Vonn hasn't won everything in sight has made it more interesting we reckon.
Of the 4 men's events so far the gold has been won by 4 different racers. We are particularly pleased to see Bode Miller doing so well with a gold, silver and bronze.
We reckon he is still the most exciting skier around.
Team GB had World Champions in both the Men's curling and the Women's 2 person bob so to have not got any medals there is disappointing.
However Amy Williams won gold in the skeleton, the first British individual gold at a Winter Games for 3 decades. Quite an achievement.
Golden girl
Our snowboarders did not bring home a medal despite talk of contention, Zoe Gillings did not make the final and Ben Kilner came 18th in his event.
The snowboarding though was rivetting to watch.
Here on PlanetSKI we said the British performance was disappointing.
Some told us the comment was fair and congratulated us for telling it like it is, others though emailed us with a different view.
"How can you put the headlines GILLINGS DISAPPOINTS, KILNER DISAPOINTS TOO, but somehow Alcott did NOT disappoint in the downhill? Neither of those kids disappointed anyone. Perhaps they were disappointed when they didn't get a medal (but they both achieved what they set out to do in Vancouver), or were they disappointed when the Federation went belly up and they spent last year scraping around for funding to pay for coaching etc. Despite the industry debacle they still went out there ...up against Vonn and White they did not disappoint at all. Would they have disappointed had they been on skis? More to the point how can you put such negative headlines for kids that gave their all, have trained without whining and whose families have given up so much to try and get them to compete for queen and country. Talk about dragging down with negativity. We were NOT disappointed."
Another PlanetSKI reader went, er, slightly further.
"How many of you have competed at the Olympics? Just wondering as you have said Ben Kilner is a disappointment. Is he f**k a disappointment you bunch of f**king idiots. Needless to say i will take every opportunity to slate your sh** website."
We guess he's an ex-reader now!
For the record none of our main editorial team has competed at The Olympics, but several of our freelance writers have and we know a few current and ex-Olympians very well.
Well enough to ski hard and apres ski with them hard too.
Other readers though have told us they have liked the coverage, both of the sport and the features too.
"The coverage has been great - possibly the best around and that is no lie. You obviously can't compete with the BBC but you have been bang up to date and on time with no promotion of services like some of the other UK webs sites (no names mentioned!). It has criticized where necessary and been positive the rest of the time. I know people in Vancouver have been reading and that Amy Williams has read the article on her winning gold."
One Canadian e-mailed us mid way through the women's ski cross to Ask PlanetSKI.
"I'm watching the women's downhill "ski-cross" on CTV and I was wondering why they are NOT using their poles to push themselves faster as they are on the course? I would really like to know. So being a CANADIAN, I'll leave you with a cheer.....GO! CANADA GO! In have to go now the Olympics are back on. thanks in advance".....Paul
We waited until it was all over as we were glued to it!
"Hi Paul, Congratulations on Gold.
I have just had a brief email exchange with someone who races ski cross and he says they do use their poles at the beginning to get speed but then it is better to take a good line and keep a good slipstream. There is also the chance of getting a pole caught up with another skier and getting disqualified."
See all the stories here in our Winter Olympics section on PlanetSKI.
Sometimes it is difficult to judge it all when it is going on so we would love to hear your views, both of the PlanetSKI coverage and The Games themsleves.
Do let us know what you made of it all - good, bad or otherwise.
If you are a new reader to PlanetSKI we are an independent news and information web site about anything ski related; check out the other areas, you may like them.
Was it a classic winter Olympics? How did Team GB do? What was your favourite moment? Will it make you visit Whistler?PlanetSKI reserves the right to edit any comments. In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below.
Once again you see to have told it straight and like it is. Breath of fresh air on the web and you have been pretty quick with the results too. Faster than the BBC on many occasions and they must have hundreds of people out there.
Shame you are not on TV!
Jonny, Cham
We have watched loads of it every evening from the skiing and snowboarding to the curling and biathlon. Will we remember it as a great Olympics? no. will probably not give it a second thought next week but the last fortnight has been great and really inspiring though it is a shame we have to wait another 4 yearss. Not really bothered about how the brits did as just into the sport for what it is. did a couple of seasons in whistler and love the place.no plans to go back though.
Su Manns, Verbier
I think there are many different aspects that maybe make it a great Winter Olympics. But for me, it's mainly down to the Athletes. Watching Chemmy, Ed and Andy race was awesome and seeing Bode get that well derserved gold medal after so many years was great.
On the whole I though Team GB put a superb effort in, espically with all the Snowsport GB stuff that has been going on recently. I hope they will go onto inspire new generations of ski racers to reach the world stage.
Finally, I have been fortunate enough to visit Whistler a few years ago, but don't really rate the resort... Nothing on Verbier or Chamonix!!
Jack Harvard Taylor, London
You mention that no one racer has dominated in the Men's events - this is pretty inaccurate after both Bode Miller and Aksel Lund Svindal have both won a medal in three events, plus Riesch has just won her second Gold in the Slalom. Two medals for Mancuso, Vonn, Goergl and Maze. A better description would have been the medals being concentrated in a just a few people and countries....
Neil McQuoid, Whistler
Yes, OK, Women's Downhill and Men's half-pipe, No.
Alex Smyth, London
The skiing has been great with all the events wide open. We were told Lindsey Vonn might win all the events and dominate the women's competition, but she didn't and the women's downhill was so exciting (much better than the men's race).
Then in the men's competitions each event was won by someone different.
What was exciting was the range of people that all seemed in with a chance. I will miss it all next week!!
Nikki, Bristol
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