orangeman

Great early breakdown. I agree with most of it, but I'll elaborate on three in particular: Curling: I'm expecting a comeback after two very disappointing showings for Canada in Pyeongchang and Beijing. I think the national federation is taking it more seriously now that the world is catching up, especially in mixed doubles. I expect three medals, but a gold will be harder to come by. Hockey: As usual, women will be expected to win a gold. It'll be exciting seeing the men have NHL players, but I don't even think Canada will be a gold favourite. We simply do not have a goaltender. We have a couple of low-to-mid choices, so unless someone rises up suddenly in the next year it'll be hard to fight for gold. McDavid will only be able to do so much. USA, on the other hand, will have a very complete team with excellent goaltending. Even if Russia competes, they are the favourite right now. But, anything is possible in a one game elimination series. Short Track: This is currently our strongest team perhaps ever, which is surprising given how much stronger other countries have become recently (although the USA has dropped off the map almost completely). As you said, 3 is a minimum but as this team stands right now, they could run away with the medal table. However, short track is always unpredictable and anything can happen in the races. I agree, high 20s for total medals, could even get into the 30s if the stars align. I just hope Canada wins more golds this time. 4 in Beijing (and only one individual) was a tragedy.

Yes, you're right. But the point is that the private sporting agency supersedes national law on this subject.

The Beijing 2022 design was based on the traditional Chinese seal/stamp. If you've been there, you'd recognize it as very Chinese immediately. https://www.theolympicdesign.com/olympic-games/pictograms/beijing-2022/

Off-topic, when I lived in Beijing there was a park across the street that had all the 2022 pictograms along its fence on the street. They were big and lit up at night. It was really cool, especially because the 2022 pictograms were very unique and creative.

They're not very creative or unique to Italy/Milano, but like others have said, at least they're understandable unlike Paris. These are very generic, though.

National law and sport rules are completely different. Like, there's a law in Canada that if you punch someone in the face you will get charged with battery. But if you're playing hockey and do it, you'll only get 5 minutes in a penalty box. Japan only recognizes gender at birth and this was not an issue in 2020(1). Any law Trump and the Republicans pass can only apply to governmental organizations, i.e. school competitions. Private sport events, like the NHL, MLB and the Olympics, can still decided who can and cannot participate in what events. If the NHL wants a female goaltender to play, they can do that tomorrow if they want. If the IOC decides Semenya can participate in the female category, then that's their right as a private entity. I'm sure Hitler wasn't happy that Jews, black people and other groups were allowed to participate in 1936, either. Of course, I've been saying for a long time they should do away with "male" and "female" categories and just have "Over/Under X amount of testosterone" categories.

What I'm surprised at here is that the sunrise and sunset both change by 27/28 minutes over those two weeks, providing almost an hour more of sunlight from the beginning of the Games to the end. I didn't realize it changed that fast. Growing up in Canada, I always felt like one day in late October we suddenly got 4 hours less sunlight, and one day in early April we suddenly got 4 hours more.

Big hopes for Milano 2026. Despite countries like Russia, Italy, Netherlands and Hungary stepping it up in the last few cycles, Canada has been relatively consistent since 1992. 3-5 medals, 1-2 golds. I'm really hoping for a breakthrough in 2026. With it being out of East Asia, hopefully we get some normalcy back to the judging which leads to a return for our women on the podium for the relay.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh.... Gold medal for Canada

They serve beer, I'm sure. I got a little....lubricated at the women's gold medal game in 2018 in the early afternoon. By the time I was at curling in the evening I was a bit over it, though. Visiting Canada House between might have added to the lubrication. They did not have beer in Beijing 2022. Heck, they barely had food and the gift shop closed before the game started. Anyway, the point is, yes hockey fans drink beer occasionally.

It's not just TV audiences, I'm sure there's actual logistics on the ground. Media, fans and players from the game might need to get to the CC. Security might be an issue. When I went to the CC in Beijing 2022, they had the whole Olympic Green secured due all the officials going to the event. I don't think they can have the hockey game pouring out with drunk/excited fans next door as that's setting up. Never mind the traffic around the venues, etc. And that was during a limited audience Games due to Covid. On top of that, I'm sure networks want a pause between the last event of the Games and the Closing Ceremonies. That's a time a lot of them do a recap, video montages, interviews, recognition of staff, etc. It's not even to satisfy the North American market, because a later start would be better for us, too. I get that 1pm is not "afternoon" to Italians, but the Olympics aren't just for the host country. A lot of logistics go into them that us laymen don't even know about.

I mean, it has to be at 1pm just in case it goes into OT/SO, to have time to start the Closing Ceremony. It was at 2pm in Turino. You could move it to Saturday night, but other big events are happening at that time that would be overshadowed. Broadcasters wouldn't want to have to choose between the figure skating gala and the gold medal hockey game, for example. In Canada it'd be a national civil war on whether to watch the curling game or the hockey game. The men's gold medal game is sort of like the marathon in the SOG, it's just the highlight before the Olympics close. Plus it's a great excuse to day drink.

It's probably because short track and figure skating are sharing a venue, and on those days figure skating is happening at night. There just aren't enough days were figure skating isn't taking place to accommodate the whole short track programme at night.

Sorry I'm not posting more about the Paralympics this week. I'm super busy at work and have been battling...something. A cold? Allergies? Covid yet again? I don't know. I've been watching highlights and depending on you here to keep up. A slow start, but finishing strong to beat Tokyo. Hopefully I'll be able to watch some this weekend.

The future of fencing looks good across the board for Canada!

As far as I know, it's still up in the air. I'm sure the USA would love to have NFL stars in LA, though.

Both men and women's team out in the quarters.

Just seeing this topic now, and even though I answered a similar topic in the general Olympic thread right at the end of the Games, I think it's good to revisit it with a couple of weeks separation. My favourite Canadian Olympic moments, in chronological order: 1. Rugby 7s girls beating France and then Australia to make the gold medal game. I have a few girls and women who play rugby in my family and we were texting back and forth furiously. The pace of the game and having multiple games per day is just so exciting. This sport has proven to be a perfect addition to the programme, and is a great way to start the Games (although having teams eliminated before the OC was a bad idea I hope they revisit). 2. Eleanor Harvey getting bronze in fencing. I don't watch much fencing, but the timing of the bouts were perfect for me this time around. It was great watching the Canadians do better than they ever have before, with Harvey of course coming through for a medal. Then the team coming soooooo close to another one. The Grand Palais was an amazing venue, the fencers descending that staircase before their matches was beautiful. 3. Always great watching Summer win, but I think the 200 IM was the best one because she had real competition and many sources didn't believe she would get the gold. 4. Katzburg destroying the competition on his first throw. 5. Men's 4x100. Completely unexpected. I was hooting and hollering among Americans at work in the middle of the day. This one has the best re-watch value, I've watched it at least 25 times since. 6. Waking up very early to see Katie Vincent edge out gold unexpectedly to break Canada's non-boycotted gold and total medal records. Other highlights for other reasons: -Liendo and Kharun medalling in the same event, having two Canadians on the same podium for Canada since the 1970s I believe (and Kharun becoming the first male to win two swimming medals since the 90s). This one is tempered a bit because I really wanted Liendo to win gold. -W8 silver because I set my alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to see it and then went back to sleep. They didn't disappoint. -Methot getting bronze in trampoline because I turned it on as I was getting ready for work with no expectations but seeing some trampolining. Great way to start the day. -Newman's bronze in pole vault because it was unexpected and fun to watch. -Masse getting a medal in Paris. -Bronze in mixed doubles tennis. I don't watch a lot of tennis, but it was really fun to watch in Paris. Favourite non-Canadian moments: 1. France winning gold in men's rugby. What a way to start off the Games. The world needed to celebrate, and Paris did not disappoint. 2. Sara Sjostrom winning the 100m free (and later the 50 free). She just seems so nice and hard working. 3. Marchant lighting La Defense Arena on fire for a week. 4. The venues in general. Just gorgeous and iconic, including Tahiti. Worst moments: 1. 3x3 W basketball losses in the playoff rounds. 2. Men's basketball loss against France. 3. Damien Warner. 4. Sarah Mitton. 5. USA coming back to beat Serbia. 6. So many 4ths again, especially all the W relays. 50/50 chance they get converted to bronzes if China runs out of money to bribe WADA with.

Ellie Black has won the 2024 Olympics Fair Play award. https://olympics.com/en/news/canadian-gymnast-ellie-black-wins-fair-play-award

This Summer McIntosh looks like she might have a bright future.

Ask me how long it took me to realize you weren't talking about tennis (mixed doubles).

You know the other guy was lying because he looked shocked that he got the point at first, then played dumb, and then after it was definitively called for him he acted all innocent, "I would totally call for a replay...which can't happen....but I would call for it, which again cannot take place now...but it's not up to me and if it was I'd totally go with someone else's ruling, which at this time officially has gone my way and cannot be overturned....but it's not my fault..." Also, hate when officials act so sure. I get that you have to make a call, and that everyone makes mistakes. But "I saw it!" Well, obviously you didn't because that's not what happened. So you lied. You're a liar. You have no credibility now.

Please stop triggering me.

I'm going to skip events I don't know much about. I'm concentrating on what brings an audience, global participation (across the board) and infrastructure. (Borrowed @intoronto's template here. Athletics*: cross-country racing Artistic Swimming: I think this should be removed just because of the judging. Wow, the same teams win the same medals at every event. Inspiring. But, I get that it's a real sport and people like it. Mixed duet instead of female duet, and mandatory 2 men per team. Boxing: Gone. 3x3 basketball: Increase to 12 teams per gender, 2 groups of 6, top 4 from each go to quarters. Canoeing Sprint: Add 500m to mens and womens C1. Canoeing slalom: Cross seemed like it was going to be fun, but I'm not sure. I'll give it another shot. Cycling: Add a second event for Mountain biking with no new quotas. In Track, 1km time trial. Equestrian: Gone. Golf: Controversial, but GONE. It's not important to the big names, and the infrastructure is non-sustainable. Also, I find golf boring. MP: Kind of like the idea, now that equestrian is gone. Obstacle course will be good TV, probably. Rowing: I'm good. Rugby sevens: No changes Skateboarding: Watched more of it in Paris than any time in my life, I get it now. But I don't think 11 year olds should be in the Olympics. There should be a minimum age for every discipline. Soccer: Even number of teams for both genders. Surfing: Gone. It's just impractical, and I don't like sports that depend so heavily on random mother nature. Also, not great for TV. Swimming: Eliminate semis for 200 individuals. Table Tennis: Don't care, personal opinion, GONE. Taekwondo: Fine. Tennis: Fine, but extend the calendar so athletes aren't playing 2-3 matches per day. There two weeks, use the two weeks. Triathlon: Fine. Volleyball: Fine. Wrestling: Maybe remove Greco-Roman wrestling Elective sports from Paris/LA Baseball/Softball: Continue to have it in countries that can support it. I think it's good, but no need for a country like France to build stadiums they'll never use again. Breaking: No thanks. But gold for Canada! Cricket: Yes, it includes otherwise neglected South Asian countries. Flag Football: Gone. Interested to see it, somewhat. Lacrosse: Yes. Squash: Sure. Includes otherwise neglected countries. Too many racket sports, but I'd take this over Table Tennis. Sorry, lived in East Asia for many years, still think it's not an Olympic sport. Come at me bro! Athletics* = New field team event. Countries have competitors in all 8 field events, add up placements like team figure skating. Only three attempts in each event, or something like that. All in a few hours. DO IT.

As a Canadian in 2024, I absolutely support this idea.