Speed Skating at the Winter Olympic Games 2018

[heywoodu 15,337]

  On 2/18/2018 at 8:56 AM, Monzanator said:

 

It rather speaks how badly the German speed skating has fallen off in this decade when there is no one who can dislodge a woman old enoigh to be a grandmother from the Olympic line-up. It's very un-German like to lose the plot in an event which used to bring you so much success.

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Plus someone like Pechstein still being competitive is rather negative for the sport all around, since it shows absolutely no progress. I guess she'll medal in the mass start, which would be quite something noteworthy, but as a fan of the sport, that would be bad to see  

 

[OlympicsFan 860]

  On 2/18/2018 at 8:56 AM, Monzanator said:

 

It rather speaks how badly the German speed skating has fallen off in this decade when there is no one who can dislodge a woman old enoigh to be a grandmother from the Olympic line-up. It's very un-German like to lose the plot in an event which used to bring you so much success.

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I agree, although Germany being so bad in speed skating and cross-country (as well as swimming and distance running) is a very good sign for the clean sport in Germany. Impossible to be world class in any of those sports without doping, so i am rather happy about Germany being so bad in those sports.

[OlympicsFan 860]

  On 2/18/2018 at 9:47 AM, heywoodu said:

Plus someone like Pechstein still being competitive is rather negative for the sport all around, since it shows absolutely no progress. I guess she'll medal in the mass start, which would be quite something noteworthy, but as a fan of the sport, that would be bad to see  

 

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So Kasai being competitive until 1 or 2 years ago was showing us the same about ski jumping? Bjoerndal winning gold in 2014 was also showing that there is no progress in biathlon? The old american woman winning gold in individual time trial in Rio was also a bad sign?

[LowerSaxony 205]

  On 2/18/2018 at 9:47 AM, heywoodu said:

Plus someone like Pechstein still being competitive is rather negative for the sport all around, since it shows absolutely no progress. I guess she'll medal in the mass start, which would be quite something noteworthy, but as a fan of the sport, that would be bad to see  

 

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Actually it's very German-like to disregard the support of youth athletes, when you have 4-5 top stars for over a decade (in end 90s - 2000s there were Pechstein, Friesinger, Gabrecht, Völker, Niemann, Wolf who always made medals) or single athletes who dominate a sport and cloud the view on the lack of a good team results. You can see/saw similar things in football (end 90s/early 2000s), biathlon (after Neuner quit), cross-country, swimming (after Britta Steffen quit).

[heywoodu 15,337]

  On 2/18/2018 at 10:52 AM, LowerSaxony said:

Actually it's very German-like to disregard the support of youth athletes, when you have 4-5 top stars for over a decade (in end 90s - 2000s there were Pechstein, Friesinger, Gabrecht, Völker, Niemann, Wolf who always made medals) or single athletes who dominate a sport and cloud the view on the lack of a good team results. You can see/saw similar things in football (end 90s/early 2000s), biathlon (after Neuner quit), cross-country, swimming (after Britta Steffen quit).

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Thanks for giving me big bout of nostalgia back to the years of Friesinger and Wolf  (and Gabrecht as well, Niemann was mostly before 'my time')

 

How I miss the interviews with sweet Anni  

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by heywoodu

[LowerSaxony 205]

  On 2/18/2018 at 10:55 AM, heywoodu said:

 

 

How I miss the interviews with sweet Anni  

 

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Anni is now co-commentaor for German Eurosport - still sweet

[heywoodu 15,337]

  On 2/18/2018 at 10:59 AM, LowerSaxony said:

Anni is now co-commentaor for German Eurosport - still sweet

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Cool! Maybe I'll rewatch on the Eurosport Player with German commentary 

[Gianlu33 4,729]

What disaster for Italy 

[heywoodu 15,337]

Canada out 

[OlympicsFan 860]

  On 2/18/2018 at 11:01 AM, heywoodu said:

Cool! Maybe I'll rewatch on the Eurosport Player with German commentary 

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You should definitely do that. During men's 10 k she knitted with her co-commentator (Matthias Stach) ...