Row = slow. Rowers = people who like slow stuff... backpacking up long, steep mountains, a careful read of the Sunday New York Times, napping. It's pretty rare that a rower will even attempt anything remotely fast, such as downhill skiing. (An exception: Mike Livingston/silver medalist 8+ in '72 and my coach in '84: a while back we met at Whistler to ski together for the day. We jumped in the gondola and went straight up to the top of the mountain - once there Mike immediately strapped on his helmut, put his skis together and rocketed straight down the fall line. Zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds. I didn't see him again until lunch at the Half Way Haus five hours later.) With slow in mind, the sport of CURLING holds special appeal to this rower, and I'm counting the days until the event begins here in Vancouver. For one thing, the curlers are allowed, in fact practically required, to drink beer as they compete. Add a couple of stray dogs running around the venue and you've got yourself an Olympic sport for the masses.
Ice. Several ice rinks are in use here in Rain City. The smaller rink is used for figure skating and short track speed skating. The brand new Richmond Oval is being used for the usual, long course (400 meter track) speed skating.
Short track speed skating is like a knife fight, except the knives are strapped to their feet. Nasty little sport. A few nights ago, Apolo Ohno got a silver medal by virtue of being in 4th place with 100 feet to go, behind a guy from Korea and then two other guys from Korea. As soon as the 2nd and 3rd place Koreans took their squabble to the mat, Apolo took their place and got the silver.
Of some interest: the athletes in short track, should they feel as though they treated poorly by a fellow competitor, (ie. given a short kick in the nuts by an emaciated Slovenian and then pushed aside). are not allowed to protest. A slew of judges watch the action, see who falls, see who has been wronged, and then quickly pass judgment. Case closed.
On the other side of town, the long track speed skating is a sedate poetry reading by comparison. (A very very thin rowing/speed skating connection: the father of legendary speed skater Eric Heiden is accomplished master's rower Jack Heiden. Even thinner: Connie Carpender Phinney - Univ of Wisco rower / Olympic gold medalist in the cycling /competed in speed skating, '72 winter Olympics)
The long track is good theater. 2 skaters competing, head to head; in yesterdays women's 3000 meters, on each of the 6 laps, you could practically see the lactic acid levels increasing until you thought the skater's heads would explode. And after they finished, they slowed glided around on the track using the inside warm-up/warm-down lane, heads hanging, their coach holding them upright. Once they found their way to the wooden bench adjacent to the track, they began the world's slowest strip tease, carefully removing skates, speed suit, etc. Finally they hobbled off to the locker room, walking on broken glass.
VP Joe Biden showed up at the U.S.A. Olympic House, (sponsored by ATT). VP Joe knows how to make an entrance. A convoy of 35 SUVs pulled up in front - out leaped 175 Secret Service types, snipers took position on the adjacent rooftops, a helicopter buzzed overhead at low altitude. (I was sort of hoping Jason Bourne would pop out of a manhole cover and made some cool Bourne-mischief because I had my 4.2 megapixel camera ready to go. No such luck.) When the coast was deemed clear, Joe came into the USA House. Joe shook hands, posed for a picture with few kid or two on the way out. Then Joe exited, stage left, diving headfirst in his special bombproof Suburban. Off he want... destination unknown.
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