February 23rd and 24th at the Olympics

I spent the 23rd getting my family ready to go to Mesa so I could run a 10K on the 24th and the three older kids could run a 1K, so there wasn’t much Olympic watching on my end that day. And by the 24th things were starting to wind down at the Olympics. But we still got some commentary in. Bobsled. Curling. Hockey.

FEBRUARY 23

Lisa: Olympics at the hotel.
Bobsledder J. Olsen had an emergency appendectomy when he arrived in PyeongChang.
Estimated 2.5 Gs on long track speed skaters as they go around the curves.
I don’t think you can say someone did a quad at big air if he landed on his back and the jump wasn’t scored.

Amanda: 😬
I agree.
😮

FEBRUARY 24

Amanda: I was hoping to find a list like this. The Norwegian curling team’s crazy pants

Lisa: Someone needs to make that list.
Men’s mass start speed skating = Olympic conga line.

Amanda: I don’t know if the above list is exhaustive, but it’s pretty good.
I wanted to watch that! I was almost home in time, but I had to take the dog out.

Lisa: There is at least one pair not on the list. But it’s a good list. We need curling pants for 2022.
The mass start is about 8 minutes long. You should look it up.

Amanda: I will try and watch a replay after church. My live options are hockey and cross country.
Or just Olympic themed pajama pants.

Lisa: Funky pajama pants would be my version of curling pants.

Amanda: Same. We should look for appropriate pajama material.

Lisa: We’ve got four years. We’ll find something perfect.

Amanda: 👍🏻
Maybe we need something appropriate for summer too.

Lisa: Definitely.
5Gs of force going around turns in a 4-man bobsled.
Apparently bobsled is the sport to be in if you are in the military. Blake should take it up.
Wait. We won the men’s curling medal? Cool!
Korea had never won a medal on snow until today. Cool.
“A freak of nature as an athlete.” We think that’s supposed to be a compliment.
Swiss bobsled team has a very prescribed handshake thingy they do before going down.
The NBC bobsled commentator is totally into this sport. You have to get excited listening to him.
Another bobsled tie. This time for silver. I’ve lost track of how many time John Morgan has said “WOW!” He wants to rename the “House of Speed” (apparently the nickname for the sliding center) to the “House of Excitement.”
Also, before these Olympics South Korea had only ever won medals on ice skates of some form. But they won two sledding medals and one snowboard.
Interesting observation between ice dancing and figure skating – ice dancers can wear their hair down and the open parts on their dresses are actually open, not just flesh colored fabric.

Amanda: Wow!
I will let him know!
We did! A bunch of nobodies from Michigan, after the national team gave up on Shuster.
Neat!
Probably?
Rituals are important, especially to athletes.
There is definitely something about the home field advantage.
That is interesting.
Watching the gold medal hockey game. It’s close!

Lisa: I’m cheering for Germany.

Amanda: I think Blake is too. I don’t care.

Lisa: Germany has never won.
The women’s game went to overtime too.

Amanda: I’m now more in favor for them then.

Lisa: And then a shoot out.
And then sudden death.

Amanda: I saw footage of it.
Going into overtime.

Lisa: Yup. Third time in history.
I’ve been awake since 4am (20 hours) so I probably won’t stay up to finish this game. And I didn’t sleep well last night because you don’t sleep well the first night in a new place. Only half your brain goes to sleep.

Amanda: Yeah, you definitely need some sleep.
OT is 20 minutes!?

Lisa: It’s another period.

Amanda: I have just learned this.

Lisa: After that it’s best out of 5 for a shoot out.
After that they do sudden death.

Amanda: Right. Like the women’s game.

Lisa: Yup.

Amanda: So it comes down to whomever scores first in OT? They don’t necessarily play the full period?
Correction. Minnesota.