The 2018 Winter Olympics

Watching today's short track speed skating races, looking forward to more on Thursday. This is my favorite event, go figure.
 
US men’s hockey lose a heartbreaker to the Czechs in a shootout. Gutwrenching.

Shootouts suck! I can understand it during a regular season NHL game, but to have it in the Olympics ridiculous! Props to the guy's for playing their asses off and being a shootout away from going to the medal round.
 
Emotional interview with Lindsey. She's fought back a ton to do what she's done tonight. :punkrocke

That girl has had so many nasty injuries but always comes back.What is truly amazing is she was still able to rack up the second most wins of all time only behind Ingemar Stenmark. It would have been awesome to see her win a gold but a bronze is nothing to be ashamed of.Overall our team killed it with 3 in the top 10 and Ross p15.:cool:
 
Watching today's short track speed skating races, looking forward to more on Thursday. This is my favorite event, go figure.
Short track is badass. Looking forward to watching it when I get home. Last night they showed the women's relay, which was top-notch excited.
 
Finland and the Russian women HAD a hockey match last night. 3 to 2 Finland for the bronze. Gold match tonight.
 
Gonna be a fun night. Got women's skiing super combined starting with the downhill and the men's skiing halfpipe. If you thought the snowboarders went big in the halfpipe, wait till you see the skiers.:eek:

And to top it off USA vs Canada for the women's hockey gold medal.:D
 
I know I'd be terrible at it but ski cross looks fun as hell
 
I know I'd be terrible at it but ski cross looks fun as hell

Those guys and girls spend more time in the air than they do on the snow. I participated in a couple of these races a long time ago at Squaw Valley. They were fun as hell but not even near as gnarly as the tracks they race on these days.:eek:
 
US Men's Curling just had a huge upset against Canada to advance to the medal round. Canada has won the last three Gold's. US men's team has never won a medal in Curling before.
 
Lamoureux sisters give U.S. Olympic gold with dramatic goals

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https://www.grandforksherald.com/sp...x-sisters-give-us-olympic-gold-dramatic-goals
 
US Men's Curling just had a huge upset against Canada to advance to the medal round. Canada has won the last three Gold's. US men's team has never won a medal in Curling before.
I avoided spoilers all day at work and through the whole match when I got home. Great stuff.
 
When did Curling become so popular in the United States? Not too long ago, it was the laughingstock of sports.

I've been so busy with work that I've been working through the nights. How did Lindsey Vonn :wub: do?
 
Bronze for Vonn in the DH. Silver and Gold for Shiffrin in GS and Super Combined.:DAs a whole, our women racers had an awesome Olympics.

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I thought it was 1:35 tonight (aka, tomorrow)

From NBC Sports: Here’s everything you need to know heading into Saturday’s matchup (NBCSN; live stream here on Feb. 24 at 1:35 a.m. ET / Feb. 23 at 10:35 p.m. PT).
Sorry, my bad then. I thought that is what I read this morning on NBC's site. I didn't actually check the listings. Thanks for the heads up.
 
no kidding, just a little side bar piece telling everybody how curling is scored would be a help.
 
Yeah I knew that much. but the colored stripes I guess don't matter? For some reason I thought getting it into the bulls eye would get them more points.
 
no kidding, just a little side bar piece telling everybody how curling is scored would be a help.
I always go to YouTube to learn stuff. I found myself watching cricket the other week and had no idea what was going on. I went to YouTube and put in something like cricket for Americans and it made me understand it so much more.
 
Ross blog: Day 11 and 12.

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And so it's done. Yesterday was my last Olympic race here in Pyeongchang -- the Downhill. It was an exciting day. I was not nearly as nervous as I was for the Super-G (as I thought the SG would likely be my only race here)... I was actually quite relaxed. Calm, composed, excited, focused. I was actually so calm at one point I thought I might fall asleep. But I got it together, slid some snow down my neck, and came to my happy place. My zone. I found a certain peace in the start gate yesterday, knowing I had done everything I needed to do to prepare, knowing I could let go of everything else and come fully to the present moment. I knew the course perfectly: I knew where I needed to go, what line I needed to hit, how hard I needed to ski -- I knew exactly how to execute a perfect run. And I found solace in that. I found trust in myself. I trusted my plan, and I trusted myself to carry it out. It was one of the first times I actually fully believed in myself.

I pushed out of the start with a big heart and a clear mind. No, I did not have a perfect run. But I was on edge. I knew I was going fast on the top half of the course because I was catching more air than I did on the training run days. Also, I was slightly out of control. But when I got a little past half-way down the course, things started to slow down. Normally I get to that point and notice how my legs are burning, wondering if I'll make a mistake, hoping I can make it clean to the bottom. But yesterday was different. I knew I was going to make it down. I didn't feel out of control or that fast on the bottom, but I had a clean, strong run without mistakes.... so I crossed the finish line, wondering: could I be winning?

Hah! I wish....but, no. I came down in 9th. I started 10th. So I didn't have to do much math to know that I wasn't that fast....
And I was bummed at first. But then I looked up to see my family in the stands: to see my mum and dad, smiling and yelling and blowing me kisses. It's funny how calming that can be....makes me think about being a little tyke, losing my ****, and then looking up at someone who loves me. Oh, how things change when your perspective grows.


Ten and a half months ago I woke up from surgery a different person. Not only had I physically changed (I have 3 large scars on my right leg, lots of hardware and ligament replacements, a joint reconstruction, etc), but I was a new Laurenne. And I grew into that girl more and more over the following months, and have grown to where I am now. It was the most difficult time of my life, and I'm hoping it will remain that way, because it was so. incredibly. hard.
I knew it would be a push to try and recover in time for the Olympics. After talking to my therapist many times and persuading my doctor to let me push the protocol (to extremes), we decided to go for it. If there were no complications anywhere along the way, it was slightly possible.

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And, when I say slightly, I mean there was a very slim chance. On March 31st of 2017, I had a full ACL reconstruction (using my patellar tendon), LCL reconstruction (using my hamstring), lateral and medial meniscus repairs, tib-fib joint reconstruction (also using my hamstring tendon), poplitealfibular ligament repair and a peroneal nerve neurolysis. I also had a broken, but not displaced, tibial-plateau, which didn't need repair. I'm not sure how I made it through all of those months with only small physical setbacks and complications. My mental and emotional setbacks seemed more extreme, even, but to separate the two is pointless and silly.
Anyway... I worked my ass off. For 6.5 months I spent 5-10 hours every day on therapy and in the gym. I took a few online classes to keep my mind off of the pain and help maintain some balance, but my main goal was to get healthy and strong so that I could compete this season and hopefully make it to the Olympics. It has been over 10.5 months since I have taken one single day off from taking care of my knee. I use an ice machine every day, at least 4 times a day. I do self-therapy when I don't have a PT around (which is rare). Not including conditioning and physical therapy, I spend at least 2.5 hours a day just on recovery, icing, and maintenance. It's a total pain in the ass. And I'm ready for a break.

I have to say...if it weren't for all of the people supporting me along this journey, there is no way in hell I would be here. My therapists who pushed me, my parents who held my hand, my friends who drove me to my appointments, my supporters who believed in me...I would not be here without you all. There were so many instances where I wanted to quit: just give up, walk away, and start a normal life. But all of the love and support pushed me to be better and try harder. I owe everything to you guys!

http://www.laurenneross.com/
 
Yup, I stayed up all night to watch them men's curling gold medal game. Well worth it.
I hit the record option when we got home from the bar. It was live on DVR for me the next morning when I got up. Awesome matchup.

I don't know what it is about that sport that has me hanging on every push of that stone. I'm sure that I spent more of my Winter Games watching that sport over all the others. That being said though, I really enjoyed everything I chose to watch. One thing that I never liked before but couldn't get enough of was the cross country relay event that the USA women won. I just happened to flip to that event over its final stages. Epic moment. The announcers made it all that much better. Speaking of announcers, @VaDirt, you watched that Gold Medal Men's Curling event..... Those guys that were announcing that were great at their job. They took the time to explain a lot of things that I hadn't heard mentioned in much of the previous coverage. Also, having those teams mic'd up, being able to hear the strategy..... I don't think there's another sport to compare that to outside of perhaps listening to the scanner at a NASCAR race. Again, good stuff.

Read a lot about poor coverage of the Olympics by some on here and elsewhere. That's something that I can't relate to in the least. Every single event, each in real time, were available to anyone with the means. Not my problem not everyone has an adequate internet connection. That's not NBC's either. They made everything available. You can't ask for much more than that IMO. In 2016, during the summer Olympics, the coverage was the same. They covered every single event and there are a heck of a lot more events in the summer Olympics. Was great then and great this time.

Can't wait for 2020!
 
So. It is over. It's a strange feeling, after so much excitement, hope, hype, and anticipation. The Olympic Games have come to a close...

(fans in the stands for the Ladie's DH at the Jeongseon Alpine Olympic Speed Center)
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Closing Ceremonies were so much fun. Sort of similar to the Opening Ceremonies, but more relaxed. Everyone had completed their competitions and the pressure was off. You could see joy in the eyes of many athletes. Sadness in others. Disappointment and awe. Inspiration and exhaustion. That is something so special about the Olympics: everybody's emotions are at an all-time high: in full swing and more apparent than at other times during our competitive seasons. Tears are shed in victory and in loss. One thing I love about this is the lack of shame. Because everyone watching knows how important it is to the athletes, the tears are forgiven. Accepted. Expected, almost. The Olympics bring out emotion in people that you didn't know they had. They bare our truer selves and bow to those people, those realities. They bring out the best and the worst in us all and expose it all for the world to see. There is nothing more raw than that.

There was definitely an apparent sadness at Closing Ceremonies. Sadness that the Games were over... the friendships made and ones to come were now put on pause. Our competitions were completed, our chances were over. But there was the joy, too. Pressure was lifted, and that relief was also felt. There were many smiles, lots of dancing and laughing and cheering. The torch was extinguished and we all said our goodbyes to that flame -- at least for another 4 years.

There were many really wonderful acts at the Closing Ceremonies -- musicians, dancing, fireworks, light shows and speeches. There was even some K-pop! I mean, how could there not be, really?! We were all wondering when it would happen. I was surprised, actually, that there was no K-pop in the Opening Ceremonies. We danced and hugged and said goodnight to new friends and goodbye to the Olympic Spirit.

What an amazing experience! I feel so lucky to have gotten to witness the entirety of the Games: from Opening all the way through to Closing Ceremonies. Attending events, staying in the athlete village, touching the ocean -- I am walking away satisfied. Knowing I soaked it all in. I gave it my all. I enjoyed every moment -- every moment of awe, every moment of pain. I enjoyed representing my country and have actually wrote a little blog post on that here. I embraced my nerves, my teammates, my curiosity, and tried to make the most out of all of it. So much is put into the Olympics -- by everyone. From the athletes to the volunteers to the organizers and coaches. It's hard to express actually how much work goes into it all, and easy to understand why we are all so exhausted now. I feel like I could sleep for days..But, I've got another World Cup race this weekend! Whoa. That came up quick. Although I feel desperately ready for spring and a long, well-needed break, I am going to push through and see how things go this weekend.

Thank-you so much for all of your kind words, love, and support. The good vibes I felt from all around the world, notes of encouragement, emails and support I have received over the past 3 weeks have been some of the highlights of my Olympic experience. The world really does come together, joins hands, and walks as one. I guess sport is capable of much more than it seems to be on the surface... (more on this topic here)

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Truly an inspiration and a positive role model.

http://www.laurenneross.com/
 
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