# 2018 Winter Olympics Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 9, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525 "2018-02-09T16:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/301 "2018-02-25T03:18:55Z")
Women’s figure skating has always tried to downplay the athleticism in way. Obviously it takes strength, skill, and endurance to do it well, but it’s supposed to look light, easy, and effortless. The costumes are part of the deal. It’s supposed to look like some flimsy, gossamer wisp of fabric befitting a sylph who glides across the ice like a breath of wind. When you try to make something look flimsy, sometimes it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/302 "2018-02-25T05:01:02Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The semifinal of the men’s snowboarding PSG (parallel giant slalom) featured a race between Lee Sangho of South Korea and a guy who’s name I can’t remember. It appeared during the ‘live’ run that Lee managed to catch up and win the race right at the end. > > Then they showed the finish line camera and it was clear that Lee had not crossed the line first. They cut the slow mo finish line replay instantly for the broadcast, even before both their bodies crossed the line. > > Then they cut to the shot where both competitors stand and get pictures taken while the results are made official and posted. You can hear the announcer on the PA and see both men look over to watch the replay on a monitor. The guy who “lost” says “I won” and then looks incredulously at Lee. He said something else and then they cut the shot as Lee, having been declared the winner, walked off for his next race. > > It was clear in the replay tho that Lee had not won. > > I can’t find video of it just yet, but I’m sure eventually it will surface. If Kosir had really won his team would have protested. Teams are not shy about protesting when they think a mistake has been made. There was no protest. Most likely the camera angle was misleading. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/303 "2018-02-25T05:03:33Z")
How about that Ester Ledecka, winning gold in both skiing and snowboarding? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/304 "2018-02-25T05:21:50Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Women’s figure skating has always tried to downplay the athleticism in way. Obviously it takes strength, skill, and endurance to do it well, but it’s supposed to look light, easy, and effortless. The costumes are part of the deal. It’s supposed to look like some flimsy, gossamer wisp of fabric befitting a sylph who glides across the ice like a breath of wind. When you try to make something look flimsy, sometimes it actually is. So would you prefer they wore something more like skiers do? I can see a certain brute logic to that, but personally I prefer the “sylph who glides across the ice like a breath of wind” look, not only in the costuming but especially in the style of skating. If figure skating were more like diving where competitors take turns doing complicated acrobatics (jumps in the case of figure skating) with no music or choreography, I would have fairly low interest in that. But then, I gladly watched five or six seasons of _So You Think You Can Dance_ until about five years ago, stopping not because I didn’t like it any more but more because I had trouble finding enough time in the summer to keep up with it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/305 "2018-02-25T06:01:19Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > So would you prefer they wore something more like skiers do? I can see a certain brute logic to that, but personally I prefer the “sylph who glides across the ice like a breath of wind” look, not only in the costuming but especially in the style of skating. If figure skating were more like diving where competitors take turns doing complicated acrobatics (jumps in the case of figure skating) with no music or choreography, I would have fairly low interest in that. But then, I gladly watched five or six seasons of _So You Think You Can Dance_ until about five years ago, stopping not because I didn’t like it any more but more because I had trouble finding enough time in the summer to keep up with it. I didn’t say I was opposed to the flimsy sylph look, just trying to describe it. However, I think it’s possible to find a compromise somewhere between dainty-and-delicate and covered-head-to-toe. I’m not a big fan of the delicate, waifish sort of style that figure skating favors. I don’t know whether it’s somehow formally encoded within the judging criteria, or if it’s just a stylistic tradition within the sport. There have been more athletic skaters. Surya Bonaly was extremely athletic in her skating (including a backflip); she was a crowd favorite but never did very well with the judges. I suspect it’s starting to evolve in that direction, but very slowly. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/306 "2018-02-25T06:10:54Z")
What about the pants suits on the females tonight? And the male skater Yuzi??? , his costume looked positively girlish. And he didn’t put his big jumps in. The skate was beautiful though. The OAR girl who was the silver medalist, her outfit tonight looked like something my teen would wear to the movies. Kinda like street clothes. She is the only one I saw who had a big mistake. Now the gold winner was perfect and unique. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/307 "2018-02-25T06:24:56Z")
This is some hockey game. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/308 "2018-02-25T06:46:48Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > What about the pants suits on the females tonight? And the male skater Yuzi??? , his costume looked positively girlish. And he didn’t put his big jumps in. The skate was beautiful though. The OAR girl who was the silver medalist, her outfit tonight looked like something my teen would wear to the movies. Kinda like street clothes. She is the only one I saw who had a big mistake. Now the gold winner was perfect and unique. He has been injured all year and basically skating this Olympics on loads of painkillers. Not surprising that he would skip the big jumps in an event which counts for absolutely nothing. And I thought Zagitova’s costume was really inappropriate. It would have been eyebrow-raising on anyone, but a 15-year-old? Absolutely not. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/309 "2018-02-25T07:02:24Z")
Yea, that animal print was kind of sexually suggestive, for such a young girl. I find it hard to see these skaters mere girls. I know they are, but they are so accomplished. The Shib sibs looked great. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/310 "2018-02-25T12:44:10Z")
Weird coverage of the 50K XC ski. For a while gold was in contention then a gap and four who could get a bronze. The winner then pulled ahead, and the y showed him finish. Then NBC went to an interview with the IOC president. I don’t expect full coverage, but couldn’t they show who got the bronze? inserting a commercial break if they must? I just found it weird – it wasn’t even another sport. Brian ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/311 "2018-02-25T16:32:38Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > He has been injured all year and basically skating this Olympics on loads of painkillers. Not surprising that he would skip the big jumps in an event which counts for absolutely nothing. > > And I thought Zagitova’s costume was really inappropriate. It would have been eyebrow-raising on anyone, but a 15-year-old? Absolutely not. In the competition, or in the spotlight show? ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/312 "2018-02-25T17:33:12Z")
I’m going through winter Olympics withdrawal. I even started looking up curling clubs around the country, so I can learn more about it. I am in a place where I can’t do anything about it now, but next year…am I too old at 65 to enjoy learning to play, and to be able to develop enough skill to enjoy it? You who are curlers, what are the virtues of your club? ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/313 "2018-02-25T17:56:31Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > In the competition, or in the spotlight show? The spotlight show. The see-through tiger print bodysuit. Of course, I also thought Tarasova/Morozov’s Candyman routine was trashy, so maybe I’m just a prude. Hearing “Voulez vous coucher” echo through a silent Olympic arena was cringe-inducing. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/314 "2018-02-25T18:05:42Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’ve just been watching the women’s bobsleigh and must say that that was an unfortunate costume choice for the Belgians. I still don’t know what you mean by that. I’ve googled, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, someone last week was talking about the possibility of same-gendered duos in pairs skating or ice dancing. I don’t see that happening either way. I think if a woman had the upper body strength to lift another woman, she would not have the grace and flexibility to do all the other stuff. And I can’t see a man lifting another man, unless the guy being lifted was tiny, and male figure skaters are generally tall. It also seems to me that the summer Olympics have a heck of a lot more events than winter. Wonder if it would be possible to even them out? I can think of five summer events that take place indoors: wrestling, judo, tae kwon do, weightlifting and table tennis. They’re not snow-and-ice events, but they’re not particularly tied to summer, either. Just an idea. ---
**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 25, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/315 "2018-02-25T18:19:55Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Meanwhile, someone last week was talking about the possibility of same-gendered duos in pairs skating or ice dancing. I don’t see that happening either way. I think if a woman had the upper body strength to lift another woman, she would not have the grace and flexibility to do all the other stuff. And I can’t see a man lifting another man, unless the guy being lifted was tiny, and male figure skaters are generally tall. > > It also seems to me that the summer Olympics have a heck of a lot more events than winter. Wonder if it would be possible to even them out? I can think of five summer events that take place indoors: wrestling, judo, tae kwon do, weightlifting and table tennis. They’re not snow-and-ice events, but they’re not particularly tied to summer, either. Just an idea. The Gay Games are going to allow same-sex skating pairs for the first time. I am under the impression that they didn’t until now because the ISU threatened anyone who skated as part of one with a suspension of some sort. > [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > The gory details can be found in these two extensive works (warning: PDF files!): > > [International Competition Rules Book IV: Joint Regulations for Alpine Skiing](http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/AlpineSkiing/02/03/07/icr_16.07.13.clean_Neutral.pdf) > > [Timing Booklet Alpine Skiing](https://data.fis-ski.com/media/alpine-skiing/timing/timing-booklet-v-250.pdf) > > Notice that both books are out of date. It is possible that the rules have changed, but based upon what I’ve seen from watching alpine skiing, I don’t think so. Here are the [current rules for snowboarding competitions](http://www.fis-ski.com/mm/Document/documentlibrary/Snowboard/11/08/79/SB_FIS_ICR17Snowboardmarkedupfall_English.pdf). Rule 2020.2.3: “For all competitions, there must be two photocell system(s) homologated by the FIS installed at the finish line. The cells are placed in such a height that a competitor finishing normally cuts the beam with the lower half of his legs, between the ankle and the knee.” Rule 2020.3.1: “With electric timing, the time is taken when a competitor crosses the finish line with any part of his body or equipment and so breaks the beam between the timing photo cells.” ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/316 "2018-02-25T18:26:48Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > The spotlight show. The see-through tiger print bodysuit. I hadn’t seen it until Googling just now. It may be controversial to say, but I think she looks pretty hot. (If she looked her actual age, I would not say that.) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/317 "2018-02-25T19:13:02Z")
> [@Tapiotar](#): > > I’m going through winter Olympics withdrawal. > > I even started looking up curling clubs around the country, so I can learn more about it. I am in a place where I can’t do anything about it now, but next year…am I too old at 65 to enjoy learning to play, and to be able to develop enough skill to enjoy it? > > You who are curlers, what are the virtues of your club? Never too old to try it, and see if you like it. The biggest difference in curling clubs is whether they have a dedicated, curling-only facility, or if they share ice time at a hockey or skating rink. The second type is what’s called an arena club. They may play only a couple nights a week, the ice surface tends to be less predictable and requires more setup, and (at the ones I’ve been to) there’s less space for socializing after a game. A dedicated club will usually have a warm room for off-ice activities, and even a bar. A place like that is expensive, though, and requires a lot of dedication among the members to keep it maintained. Clubs will sometimes start as arena clubs while they build memberships until there’s enough interest to build a place of their own. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/318 "2018-02-25T19:57:22Z")
Thanks, Robot Arm! ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/319 "2018-02-25T20:51:58Z")
Slackerinc - [Looks up Zagitova’s costume] Oh, come on. _Maybe_ if her breasts were three times as big (and no, I’m not usually the guy who brings up breast sizes, thanks for asking :)), but this? Barely worth mentioning. Hell, _I’ve_ occasionally shown as much flesh when picking up the newspaper. I do think it looks ridiculous, but this is the exhibition; that’s kinda the damn point. That Don Guy - Okay, see, what I don’t understand is why an event SPECIFICALLY CREATED as open defiance to a mainstream cultural institution would exclude an entire event because some alphabet soup organization had a hissy fit. What the hell is the ISU _doing_ for them, anyway? Pretty-looking stickers on the equipment? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525/320 "2018-02-25T21:21:50Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I hadn’t seen it until Googling just now. > > It may be controversial to say, but I think she looks pretty hot. (If she looked her actual age, I would not say that.) I myself was offended by it. The music in the routine I mean. What was that, cat torture? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-winter-olympics-thread/808525.md?page=17)