# 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 10, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985 "2014-02-10T17:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/41 "2014-02-14T19:37:49Z")
I haven’t kept up with the over all medal count. I was thinking of Shaun White and some of the ski events. I watched the curling and the American women lost. I haven’t kept up this time on the events like I usually do. glad to hear the overall medal count is good. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/42 "2014-02-14T19:51:16Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > Yes, I am a bit mystified why Russia couldn’t or wouldn’t bring in an alternate or second competitor for the men’s competition. I’m not sure on the rules about this part of the Olympics. They certainly had another athlete who qualified at an Olympic level (Maxim Kovtun). I know other countries have multiple athletes in a single event, and figure skating in particular. So I’m not clear on why they only brought one competitor for men’s figure skating. > > I would like my ignorance to be fought on this matter. My google-fu is not up to snuff on this one. As I understand it, the number of people who can compete is determined by how the country did in the World Championships, so presumably Russia didn’t do so well there. The impression I got from the commentators was that there may have been a point between the team and singles competition where they could have made a swap, but obviously 30 seconds before the routine is too late. So it probably would depend on what he felt like at that deadline. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/43 "2014-02-14T20:34:48Z")
Its my understanding that if you get an Olympic berth for a skating event, you also get to name an alternate. Now, if alternate was on the other side if the world and didn’t travel to the Games (why would you not send the alternate?) but it’s home ice, here. I bet that alternate would have high tailed it to the rink post haste if there was any way he could be permitted to skate. Evidently it couldn’t be done. And thus, what’s the point of having an alternate! Also presumably, Plushenko’s alternate is the guy he took the berth away from in the first place! Double sucks to be that guy. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/44 "2014-02-14T21:57:59Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > Yes, I am a bit mystified why Russia couldn’t or wouldn’t bring in an alternate or second competitor for the men’s competition. I think the problem was, quite a few people were convinced Russia would “bend the rules” and have Pluschenko compete in the team competition, then “conveniently get hurt” just in time to have an alternate take his place in the men’s competition. As a matter of fact, a month ago, the International Skating Union released an [official announcement](http://static.isu.org/media/129144/1844-clarification-team-event-owg.pdf) concerning replacing a skater who was in the team competition. > [@](#): > > For entries related to individual Figure Skating events (Pair Skating, Men, Ice Dance, Ladies) it is possible to make athletes replacements only up to and during the Team Leaders meeting for the Figure Skating (individual) events scheduled for 10.00 a.m. on February 10th, 2014, for the same circumstances > as mentioned above (injury and/or sickness). The “circumstances mentioned above” specifically state, in bold letters, “urgent medical reasons.” Also note that the decision as to whether or not Pluschenko could skate had to be made less than 15 hours after he performed in the team competition men’s free skate, and it would have been difficult to convince anybody that he had a “urgent medical reason” for withdrawing. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/45 "2014-02-14T22:00:06Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I gather there are a couple of Russians named Semen, too, but I prefer Freek. That would be Semyon, with the accent on “yo”. On edit: ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/46 "2014-02-14T23:07:05Z")
Ninja’d is when someone else posts at the exact same time, not when you’re too lazy to read the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/47 "2014-02-14T23:16:04Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Ninja’d is when someone else posts at the exact same time, not when you’re too lazy to read the thread. I usually respond as I read. Sorry if I offended your tender sensibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/48 "2014-02-15T00:48:36Z")
More about names: Always enjoyed the massive number of German names among the members of the Italian Olympic team, with athletes named Zoeggeler Innerhofer Oberstolz Bauer Fischnaller Eder Agreiter Erlacher Noeckler and so on. Let’s hear it for the South Tirol! ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/49 "2014-02-15T01:41:16Z")
I would not want to be in Plushy’s skates right now. The Russian federation is probably really peeved at him for dropping out. I wonder if Putin’s minions are plotting some revenge against him? I feel really badly for Patrick Chan right now. He had that gold medal in the palm of his hands and dropped it for no good reason. The Canadian streak was almost broken. It was great television and high drama but I imagine it was very frustrating to watch if you were Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/50 "2014-02-15T01:45:54Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > I think the problem was, quite a few people were convinced Russia would “bend the rules” and have Pluschenko compete in the team competition, then “conveniently get hurt” just in time to have an alternate take his place in the men’s competition. > > As a matter of fact, a month ago, the International Skating Union released an [official announcement](http://static.isu.org/media/129144/1844-clarification-team-event-owg.pdf) concerning replacing a skater who was in the team competition. > > The “circumstances mentioned above” specifically state, in bold letters, “urgent medical reasons.” Also note that the decision as to whether or not Pluschenko could skate had to be made less than 15 hours after he performed in the team competition men’s free skate, and it would have been difficult to convince anybody that he had a “urgent medical reason” for withdrawing. Ah, perfect! That explains it exactly. Ignorance fought. I did go into these games knowing nothing about the implications of the new Team Figure Skating. Did anyone else do a double-take of sorts when the announcers started talking about chocolate in the skeleton sled of Noelle Pikus-Pace? I was so sure I was mishearing some technical term but no-- apparently she really did tape chocolate bars to her sled at some point. Well then! ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/51 "2014-02-15T01:51:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Right now the U.S. is tied for first in medals. That’s a struggle? At this rate this will be the second best Winter Games the USA has ever had - Vancouver was the first time the U.S. has ever led in total medals (and the USA has never won the most golds) and until about 20 years ago the USA usually hadn’t been in serious contention for the top of the medal table for generations. Interesting given that we are second in overall medals won in the Winter Games (50 behind Norway and 59 ahead of the USSR - Germany is another 6 back from them). Now, Russia has 91, so we would be in third by 32 if you gave them all the old USSR medals (not that I’m arguing for that FYI). Of course in the Summer Games and the combined medal count we’re first by over 1,000. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/52 "2014-02-15T02:58:46Z")
> [@Bellhorn](#): > > Does that mean they “got swept”? Hammered! > [@](#): > > Since becoming an Olympic sport, have these events surpassed the Silver Broom(or whatever it’s called now) in prestige? It’s the World Cup nowadays. I would think that the Cup probably still has an edge in reputation generally, but there’s no denying the glamour of the Olympics. I have heard commentators here in Canada arguing that the Canadian Brier ( which determines the Canadian team each year in the World Cup) is the toughest competition in the world, more so than the World Cup itself, because Canadian curling generally has more depth than any other country. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/53 "2014-02-15T03:00:47Z")
How can you tell you’re watching the Olympics from Canada? Because even with four sports channels, you only have the choice of seeing the Canadian men’s hockey team, and the Canadian men’s curling. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/54 "2014-02-15T03:03:58Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Oh. My. God. The US women just gave up a seven-ender. > > Somebody, make it stop. Missed seeing this at the time. I’ve never seen a 7 ender, even in rec curling. At the Olympic level? Wow! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/55 "2014-02-15T03:24:08Z")
U.S. speedskating team is blaming their suits for disappointing Olympics. > **[U.S. speedskaters go back to old suits](https://www.espn.com/olympics/winter/2014/speedskating/story/_/id/10457154/2014-sochi-olympics-us-speedskating-changing-uniforms)** > > Frustrated by their failure so far to win a medal in speedskating, a sport that produced four U.S. medals four years ago, the Americans have changed their suits. I think the problem is the guys in the suits. 😃 > [@](#): > > Frustrated by their failure so far to win a medal in speedskating, a sport that produced four U.S. medals four years ago, the Americans have changed their suits. > > The team ditched the suits it wore in the first six events in Sochi – in which no American finished among the top five – and will wear earlier versions made by the same manufacturer, Under Armour. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/56 "2014-02-15T04:09:54Z")
Team Canada just blew open the game with a double take-out for four! ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/57 "2014-02-15T10:00:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > U.S. speedskating team is blaming their suits for disappointing Olympics. > [2014 Sochi Olympics -- U.S. speedskating changing uniforms - ESPN](http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2014/speedskating/story/_/id/10457154/2014-sochi-olympics-us-speedskating-changing-uniforms) > > I think the problem is the guys in the suits. 😃 Actually, the different manufacturers are working on improving suits all the time and it is often used to gain that little edge in olympic years. While no one can say for sure, anyone who knows about skating had been wondering what’s up with the Americans. Davis, Richardson and Bowe have been the strongest on the 1000 meters for the last year (and Davis for a while before that). None of them breaking the top 6 is absolutely shocking; the fact that this is pretty much true for the less favored American skaters (Tucker Fredericks outside the top 25?) ass well, makes it likely (or at least point to discuss) that something is up. Other skating suit manufacturers have been quoted as saying they tried the ‘air vents’ of the US suits some years ago, but found that it increased drag by letting air in… and so they dropped it from the designs. Seeing the current US suits made them raise their eyebrows with an “either we were wrong, or they are wrong”. Here in Holland the US suits have been discussed for almost half a week now, not just the last couple of days. If nothing else, switching suits will at least make sure the athletes aren’t influenced negatively… these ‘old’ suits worked well enough to win many world cup races; too bad the best races for team USA have been raced already. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/58 "2014-02-15T13:13:47Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > Actually, the different manufacturers are working on improving suits all the time and it is often used to gain that little edge in olympic years. While no one can say for sure, anyone who knows about skating had been wondering what’s up with the Americans. Davis, Richardson and Bowe have been the strongest on the 1000 meters for the last year (and Davis for a while before that). None of them breaking the top 6 is absolutely shocking; the fact that this is pretty much true for the less favored American skaters (Tucker Fredericks outside the top 25?) ass well, makes it likely (or at least point to discuss) that something is up. > > Other skating suit manufacturers have been quoted as saying they tried the ‘air vents’ of the US suits some years ago, but found that it increased drag by letting air in… and so they dropped it from the designs. Seeing the current US suits made them raise their eyebrows with an “either we were wrong, or they are wrong”. Here in Holland the US suits have been discussed for almost half a week now, not just the last couple of days. If nothing else, switching suits will at least make sure the athletes aren’t influenced negatively… these ‘old’ suits worked well enough to win many world cup races; too bad the best races for team USA have been raced already. This is mind-boggling to me. The Under Armour guys never thought to test the damn suits on actual skaters in actual race conditions? That this would only be discovered during competition at the Olympics reeks of incompetence and heads should roll somewhere - assuming the men get back to normal form after the suit change. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/59 "2014-02-15T13:42:59Z")
Just to complete the thought from above and to not waste the research I did. The US led in total medals and Golds in the '32 Games at Lake Placid as well leading in total medals in Vancouver. Here’s the US finishing position in total medals for every Winter Games (the medal winner is in parens): ```auto **# Site/Year US Pos (Winner)** I Chamonix 1924 5 (Norway) II St. Moritz 1928 2 (Norway) III Lake Placid 1932 1 IV Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 T5 (Norway) V St. Moritz 1948 4 (Norway/Sweden/Swiss)) VI Oslo 1952 2 (Norway) VII Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 T4 (USSR) VIII Squaw Valley 1960 2 (USSR) IX Innsbruck 1964 8 (USSR) X Grenoble 1968 T7 (Norway) XI Sapporo 1972 6 (USSR) XII Innsbruck 1976 T3 (USSR) XIII Lake Placid 1980 3 (Germany - DemRep) XIV Sarajevo 1984 5 (USSR) XV Calgary 1988 T10 (USSR) XVI Albertville 1992 6 (Germany) XVII Lillehammer 1994 T5 (Norway) XVIII Nagano 1998 6 (Germany) XIX Salt Lake City 2002 2 (Germany) XX Turin 2006 2 (Germany) XXI Vancouver 2010 1 ``` ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985/60 "2014-02-15T15:23:12Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > This is mind-boggling to me. The Under Armour guys never thought to test the damn suits on actual skaters in actual race conditions? That this would only be discovered during competition at the Olympics reeks of incompetence and heads should roll somewhere - assuming the men get back to normal form after the suit change. I’m sure they thought they tested it correctly… fact is they changed suits and it didn’t help much. US hopefuls Hansen, Mantia and Davis didn’t do much… but at this point you could point to all the discussions and ‘voting’ within the team to have had an effect as well. For the second time this olympics the difference between gold and silver was a matter of thousands of a second. Both riders had 1.45.00… bur Brodka from Poland was 3 thousands of a second quicker. Koen Verweij will be sick to his stomach for some time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-sochi-olympic-winter-games/680985.md?page=4)