2002 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA
MEDAL STANDINGS FINALS
* No show
GERMANY U.S.A. NORWAY CANADA AUSTRIA LATVIA PHILIPPINES* COMMENDABLE
THE U.S.A. SETS A NEW U.S. WINTER OLYMPIC MEDAL PERFORMANCE RECORD WITH 34 OLYMPIC MEDALS! OUR PAST BEST PERFORMANCE WAS CAPPED AT ONLY 13 MEDALS! WAY TO GO OLYMPIANS!
CHRIS WITTY OF THE U.S.A. MANAGED TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL AND ESTABLISH A NEW WORLD RECORD IN THE WOMEN'S 1000m SPEED SKATING EVENT. ALL THIS AFTER A BOUT WITH MONO JUST THIS PAST JANUARY. SO, WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?
AUSSIE ALISA CAMPLIN WINS THE GOLD IN THE WOMEN'S SKIING FREESTYLE AERIALS. (NOTE THAT THERE IS NO SNOW IN AUSTRALIA, AND SHE PRACTICES IN A LEECH INFESTED LAKE!)
JIM SHEA HONORS HIS GRANDFATHER WITH GOLD IN THE MEN'S SKELETON. JIM IS A THIRD GENERATION OLYMPIAN, BUT HIS OLYMPIAN GRANDFATHER WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT JUST THIS PAST JANUARY. JIM'S SECRET TO VICTORY? HE CARRIED A PORTRAIT OF HIS GRANDFATHER IN HIS HELMET AS HE HURLED HIMSELF HEAD FIRST AT 80mph DOWN THE ICE CHUTE!
NORWEGIAN SKIER ERLING JEVNE RACES FOR HIS SON, AND PLACES 6th IN THE 15km AND 11th IN THE 50km CROSS-COUNTRY EVENTS. HIS 4-YEAR OLD SON, ERICH IVER, WAS HIT BY A CAR AND KILLED INSTANTLY BACK IN 1999.
CANADIANS JAMIE SALE AND DAVID PELLETIER WERE FINALLY CO-AWARDED THE GOLD MEDALS IN PAIRS FIGURE SKATING. THEY WERE GRACIOUS AND DIGNIFIED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CONTROVERSIAL PROCEEDINGS.
ILDIKO STREHLI ENDURED MONTHS OF CHEMOTHERAPY, EXTENDED AMOUNTS OF RADIATION TREATMENT, A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY, EVENTUALLY FOUGHT OFF BREAST CANCER TWICE., AND SHE STILL MANAGED TO ACQUIRE A SPOT ON THE WORLD STAGE TO COMPETE IN THE FIRST EVER WOMEN'S BOBSLED EVENT! SO, AGAIN, WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?
CHRIS KLUG VICTORIOUSLY TAKES HOME A BRONZE IN A SNOW-BOARDING EVENT. CHRIS IS A RECIPIENT OF A LIFE SAVING LIVER TRANSPLANT.
VONETTA FLOWERS BECOMES THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS!
DEREK PARA BECOMES THE FIRST MEXICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS!
CANADA BEATS THE U.S.A. IN BOTH THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY FINALS!
IS IT ME, OR ARE THESE OLYMPIANS - THE MOST ATHLETICALLY GIFTED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - ALSO HAPPEN TO BE SOME OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE?
2/24/02
CANADA IS VICTORIOUS OVER THE U.S. IN THE MEN'S ICE HOCKEY FINAL! THE U.S. TAKE THE SILVER.
CANADA GOES WILD WITH GOLD MEDAL WINS OVER THE U.S. IN BOTH THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY FINALS!!! WAY TO GO CANADA!
THREE CROSS-COUNTRY GOLD MEDALISTS GET CAUGHT FOR DRUG USE AND GET STRIPPED OF THEIR GOLD MEDALS.
2/23/02
THE U.S. MEN TAKE THE SILVER AND BRONZE IN THE 4-MAN BOBSLED, ENDING A 46-YEAR OLD DROUGHT IN THIS EVENT FOR THE U.S.A.
CHINA TAKES THE GOLD AND THE BRONZE IN THE WOMEN'S 1000m SHORT TRACK EVENT, WITH SOUTH KOREA TAKING THE SILVER.
RUSSIA OVERTAKES BELARUS FOR THE BRONZE IN MEN'S ICE HOCKEY.
2/21/02
THE U.S. HAS 30 MEDALS, BLOWING BY THEIR PAST MARK OF 13, AND THERE'S STILL A BIT OF OLYMPICS TO GO! WE WOULD'VE BEEN HOLDING THE MEDAL COUNT RECORD IF GERMANY WASN'T HAVING SUCH A GREAT OLYMPIC PERFORMANCE AS WELL.
CANADA BEATS THE U.S. IN THE WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY GOLD MEDAL FINAL!
16-YEAR OLD SARAH HUGHES, IN A MAJOR UPSET, TAKES THE GOLD FOR THE U.S. IN WOMEN'S FIGURE SKATING! MICHELLE KWAN TAKES THE BRONZE!
2/20/02
JIM SHEA DOES HIS GRANDFATHER PROUD! A THIRD GENERATION OLYMPIAN, JIM TAKES THE GOLD IN THE SKELETON!
APOLO ANTON OHNO TAKES THE GOLD IN THE MEN'S ICE SKATING 1500m SHORT TRACK EVENT!
GERMANY'S PERFORMANCE SETS A NEW MEDAL RECORD WITH 31, AND BREAKS THE 1988 RECORD HELD BY THE SOVIET UNION WITH 29. AND WE'RE NOT EVEN FINISHED WITH THE GAMES YET! WAY TO GO GERMANY!
2/19/02
JILL BAKKEN AND VONETTA FLOWERS FROM THE U.S.A. TAKE THE GOLD IN THE FIRST EVER WOMEN'S BOBSLED EVENT! NOTE THAT THE U.S. HAS NOT WON AN OLYMPIC MEDAL IN THIS SPORT SINCE 1956! ON TOP OF THAT, VONETTA FLOWERS BECOMES THE FIRST BLACK ATHLETE TO RECEIVE A GOLD MEDAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS!
U.S.A.'S DEREK PARRA TAKES THE GOLD IN THE MEN'S 1500m SPEED SKATING EVENT AND SETS A NEW WORLD RECORD!
2/17/02
CHRIS WITTY FROM THE U.S. GETS GOLD AND A NEW OLYMPIC WORLD RECORD IN THE WOMEN'S 1000m SPEED SKATING.
U.S. MEN TAKE FOURTH IN TWO-MEN BOBSLED.
2/16/02
APOLO ANTON OHNO GOT ROBBED!!!
CANADIAN PAIR JAMIE SALE AND DAVID PELLETIER ALSO GET A GOLD FOR PAIRS FIGURE SKATING. COOL.
THE BATTLE OF THE TITANS COMETH: MEN'S ICE HOCKEY - U.S.A. VS RUSSIA.
U.S. WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAM GO TO THE MEDAL ROUND AS THE NO. 1 SEED.
2/14/02
THE U.S. WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY TEAM GOES TO THE MEDAL ROUND AFTER DEFEATING CHINA 12-1. WE'RE IN THE FINAL FOUR WITH CANADA IN THE MIX!
WE'RE GETTING OUR BUTT KICKED IN WOMEN'S CURLING.
2/13/02
PICABO STREET RETIRES FROM HER GLORIOUS DOWNHILL CAREER
BODE MILLER MAKES A HEROIC COMEBACK TO TAKE THE SILVER IN THE MEN'S ALPINE COMBINED
22 YEAR OLD KIP CARPENTER TAKES THE BRONZE IN THE MEN'S SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING 500M EVENT - HIS FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC APPEARANCE. (GEE,WHAT WAS I DOING AT 22?) CASEY FITZRANDOLPH, ALSO FROM THE U.S., TAKES HOME THE GOLD IN THE SAME EVENT!
THE CANADIAN WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAM ICE THE RUSSIANS 7-0. WILL THE U.S.A. BE COMPETING AGAINST ITS NEIGHBOR FOR THE GOLD?
GERMANY'S MEN'S HOCKEY TEAM SURPASSES LATVIA TO GO TO THE FINAL ROUND (SORRY SERGEY - YOU SHOULD'VE PLAYED THIS YEAR)
NOTABLE
- Probably the most romantic story of these games is of the married couple of Raphael Poiree and Liv Grete Skjelbreid Poiree. They met 10 years ago at the Junior World Championships. He's from France. She's from Norway. They both represented their home countries in these Olympics, and between the both of them, they were able to acquire four medals - a silver and bronze for France and two silvers for Norway - becoming the most successful husband and wife pair in these Olympics. I feel this couple ultimately represents what the Olympics are truly about - love between all nations! Way to go Raphael and Liv Grete!
- I find the Olympic winter sport of BIATHLON rather intriguing. You have these participants cross-country ski at a maddening pace around a seemingly long pre-determined course such that they nearly reach the point of complete exhaustion, AND THEN we have them stop at a few areas along the route where they reach for a HIGH-POWERED LONG-RANGE RIFLE which happens to be strapped to their backs, and then have them SHOOT LIVE ROUNDS at clay targets a distance away. What a great sport! Personally, if I were participating in this event and knowing of my pathetic physical condition (or lack there of), after cross-country skiing the distance required between target areas, I would think EVERYTHING at that point would look like a clay target! I may even shoot myself to save me from the pain and embarrassment! It's funny, but this sport seems very similar to the inter-fraternity events I was involved with back in college except that we were expected to snarf down about a dozen WHITE CASTLE BURGERS before spinning with our foreheads pressed down on the end of a baseball bat and then sprinting 30 yards. Proabably not as difficult as a proper Olympic Winter Biathlon, but it definitely gets high marks in the Entertainment Category. I guess the lesson to be learned here is that if you wish to be a spectator at the Biathlon, make sure you're NOT STANDING BETWEEN the competitors and the clay targets! Additionally, if you're in college hanging out at the intra-murals, stay out of vomit-range of the bat spinning area. Gosh, I love the spirit of competition!