Let’s say I really, really want to be an Olympian, but certain issues–lack of talent, discipline, mental toughness and age–appear to stand in my way. Would the International Olympic Committee frown on my approaching a foreign government, say Equador or Congo, and starting a curling team? (I have never touched a curling stone, or even a curling iron.)
IIRC, the Olympics has a lower entrance bar for competitors from underrepresented countries. If the Jamiacan bobseld team is any indication, an Equadoran or Congoese curling team seems to fit the bill quite nicely.
Also: What preliminary hurdles must I clear before making the Equadoran Olympic team? Is it expensive? Need I get dual citizenships?
[The potential re: commercial endorsements are amazing. Might even get a spot of Letterman’s show.]
Well, Ecuador has mountains, so they might be familiar with ice and winter sports (depending on how high the mountains are), so that might not be a cakewalk.
Now, a Congolese curling team… that might have some potential. But first you have to decide: which Congo? Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), or the one across the river?
Didn’t the Venezuelan luge guy already steal your idea, or did you steal it from him?
Actually I was kind of bummed when I saw him, 'cos I’d always thought of doing the same thing (exactly the same thing; the luge), but for Mexico – I almost have the living time I need, and a Mexican spouse can’t hurt, and the nationalize soccer players just for the heck of it all the time. I’ve seen Americans on West German figure skating teams, but my use of “West” ought to imply that this was more than a couple of Olympics ago.
Anyway, maybe Mexico’s position is better: they can say that they didn’t finish last in any of the events at all, but the Venezuelans will always be known as the big losers in the luge.
Oh, all of my information is at least several hours old; for all I know Venuzuela took the Gold.
The International Olympic Committee cracked down on this a couple of Olympiads ago, after Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards and the Jamaican bobsledders were threatening to make a joke out of the competition. I don’t have time to look up the details right now, but I think it’s up to each sport’s federation to set standards for individuals to qualify in their sport.
For team tournament sports like hockey and curling, keep in mind that the Olympics in Turin are the finals–just like the World Cup this summer will be the soccer finals. You have to beat other teams to get that far. Ecuadoran curling ain’t gonna cut it.
The blog DFL has been discussing the preliminary qualification processes for Olympic events (in addition to their main purpose, highlighting the last-place finisher in each event).
There are only 10 nations that compete in the Olympic curling tournament. One is the host team. The other nine are chosen by how well you did in the three world curling championships in the years between the Olympics.
You know it’s a sport played on ice, right? And that people fall down?
I can still feel the piece of my knuckle that’s no longer attached to my knuckle from the finger I broke while curling, and that’s not even the most painful curling injury I’m aware of.
An athletic female friend of mine from Germany wrenched her leg pretty badly playing badminton at a highly competitive level. Completely plausible, but doesn’t sound right to those of us who think of it as a beach passtime.
