JockCartier

I thought we gave up on that theory back in November...

Can definitely see that. Typically have big lively crowds and a ton of urgency for those respective trials... and Olympic curling doesn't have much urgency until the playoffs, and the crowds tend to be smaller and disengaged. Hopefully being back in Europe at least the speed skating crowds should be a bit more lively and get more travelling fans, it's been awhile since we've had that.

Yeah, the Dutch trials are must see viewing with huge crowds and top notch production values... and ours is on a stream with 26 people watching and appears to be shot on oversaturated security cameras!

I imagine whomever is typically the alternate for the women’s team pursuit is probably a shoo in, just incase Those 1,000’s and 1,500’s are gonna be high stakes. Too bad about Howe

I think it depends on the sport. On one hand, I admire the meritocracy of trials for Dutch speed skating or US athletics... but I don't think it's necessarily a recipe for optimal results forcing athletes to run the gauntlet at incredibly competitive trials, then turn around and try to peak again in short order at the Olympics. It's something Canada does for our curling teams, and I think it's been a big part of the reason we've underperformed internationally more than one would expect. The successes we've had I feel are largely in spite of the qualification system, not because of it. Granted curling is a much different sport, but in it's case and it were up to me, I'd do like Sweden or GB, select the team the prior season then let them properly plan their seasons around the Olympics and preparing properly... rather than needing to peak for trials, and pouring whomever survives onto a plane for the Olympics a few weeks later For speedskating, I like the Canadian system. It's a mix of international results and trials. The medal contenders largely have their spots sewn up, so trials are a none-issue... and the rest are mostly just making up the numbers, so a heavier weighting on trials results is fair enough as no one else in that situation has done enough to solidify their position prior, so might as well play the hot hand. The Dutch having such incredible depth would obviously need to set the pre-qualification bar higher, but I don't think it would hurt them. But then again, their entire system is build around performance on demand... and that's produced great results, even if a few Ted-Jan Bloeman's wash out along the way

Wow... kinda limiting your hosting options when you'll only go somewhere with a long-track oval With figure skating often being a cash cow, you'd think you'd want a lot more flexibility in moving it around

The damn Swiss! To borrow from Cool Runnings

For women, I think I'd allocate the quota: Skicross - 4 Halfpipe - 4 BA/SS - 3 Moguls - 3* Aerials - 2* *Could swap either Moguls/Aerials to 2 really For the men: Skicross - 4 Halfpipe - 3 BA/SS - 3 Moguls - 3 Aerials - 3 * Could see adding a 4th halfpiper and dropping any of BA/SS, or Moguls down to 2. Of course injury status can change things. Once we're down to the last spot for a lot of these they're kinda interchangable

Really something that the "Canadian Open" is the first slam ever where zero Canadian teams even make the semi's (men or women) I think a lot of it is hangover from trials. I've always thought it was stupid to have trials so close to the Olympics. Our trials are so tough, teams plan their season around peaking for it, have to run the gauntlet, then whomever survives has to try to regroup in mere weeks and gets poured on a plane to go halfway around the world to then try to play for a gold medal. It's too much mentally, if not physically. We should be doing it the season before, like they did for doubles this time around. Let the teams properly prepare (go to the test event, play a couple bonspiels overseas, let them get used to different ice and opposition) and plan their season around peaking for the Olympics. What success we've had at the Olympics up to now I think was largely in spite of our trials system, not owing too it... and we've struggled pretty badly the last couple Olympics. It's hard to compete with the Edin's and Mouat's of the world when they're just as skilled as you are, and have also known since spring they were going and planned their seasons around the Olympics. Not that any system is fool proof, but they've giving themselves every chance to compete for gold. Trials with a short turn around are one thing for individual sports, like speed skating or athletics. But even then, the top contenders have their spots sewn up ahead of time, the trials are largely just to make up the numbers from those on the bubble. For curling in this country it's such a gauntlet just to get out, it's a helluva ask to expect teams to peak for that, get thru, come down from that high, then cram for the Olympics in just a matter of weeks

Kinda wild how the Canadian Open turned into Japanese Nationals on the women's side. Three Japanese rinks, and the Swiss made it to the semi's... Homan and Einarson both bowing out in the quarters

Nadia Moser had an outstanding day and finished top 30 (28th to be exact) in the sprint. Shilo Rousseau also squeaked into the top 60, so will get a start in the pursuit. Peiffer and Paradis did not start.

You do you. Suffice to say I disagree and have stated why.

That may be, I don't know where you got the numbers from... but I have a spreadsheet compiled that has the numbers for the intervening years, so that info is available Like I said, I'd hesitate to call it a crisis, when it's really more a regression to the mean and 22/23 was an outlier

While troubling, I think presenting 2022-23 as the only comparison other is cherry picking to some extent. as it spiked culminating that year. For comparison, I attached the levels going back to 2020-21, and no they weren't just lower during the pandemic, the SSP funding in 2018-2019 was $157M Sorry, just the accountant in me always like context and lots of comparables

Dangerous sports are dangerous?

Men’s relay finished a very respectable 11th. Paradis with a solid 38th in the women’s pursuit

The ladies were up in 2nd place after the 3rd shoot in todays relay! Then then wheels came off and get three penalty loops on the next shoot Ending up 16th... actually raced pretty well overall if you take that one shoot out of it, but obviously that would sink anyone

That’s like cheering for taxes. Give me chaos!

Good day for Hoffos, she seemed to have that one section figured out that few others did. Naeslund looks like she's rediscovered her old form. Tough course, and rough results overall. Crazy seeing Del Bosco out there still plugging away, makes me feel youngish

Honestly... I'd love to see nothing more than Sweden and Finland playing for gold in Women's hockey. It would be so refreshing and good for the sport

Ice dance gonna ice dance Chock and Bates keep getting record scores, when they’re slow as hell, have terrible ice coverage, awful twizzles and he can’t even bend at the waist 😂 But it’s not like we don’t do it too. L/L have been our best team for a year or two, but are sacrificed to keep trying to prop up G/P Honestly, ID should be taken out of the Olympics entirely… it’s as crooked as boxing

I know ice is slippery... but I don't think I've ever seen so many people randomly falling as today

No... most of the top racers were saving themselves for the singles races tomorrow. They had the team spots sewn up, so now they're racing to get selected for their nation Usually Canada and US were racing for 10th or 11th out of 12... Spain, Italy and France will kick the crap out of everyone at the Olympics

That’s the story of qualifying… our guys have no killer instinct and gave up spots repeatedly last year on the last descent Losing those points killed us

Wish the men went first… our woman is definitely the stronger of our duo