Thursday, February 20, 2014

Day 326: If Only That Puck Went In...And Other Stuff. [SPOILER]

This post is chock full of spoilerific fun so if you're not up to date on the hours of Olympic coverage on your DVR, please come back another time.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY FAIL:

With 1:24 left in the gold medal match between the US and Canadian women's hockey teams, the puck skittered down the ice towards the empty net the Canadian goalie had just vacated to give them an extra attacker. It clanged off the post. It will be the play I most remember when people talk about this tightly played game.

I'll also remember how the US team's defense sort of fell apart in the waning moments of the game as they surrendered a two goal lead with just under four minutes to go. The game-tying goal came a mere 30 seconds after the missed empty net shot—a miss that now loomed large as the teams finished regulation tied at two. Sudden death would decide who wins the biggest prize in women's hockey.

But penalties will kill you and that's exactly what they did to Team USA. Giving Team Canada a 5-on-3 advantage is just asking for trouble. Trouble revealed itself in the form of a 3-2 loss and a second straight silver medal for the Americans. Normally I'm happy with any color medal for my country, but this second place was just downright depressing.

HOT DIGGITY, TED LIGETY:

Congratulations to Ted Ligety as the 29-year-old won his second Olympic gold medal in the Men's Giant Slalom on Wednesday. He pretty much made the rest of the field look like amateurs on the bunny hill since he had almost a full second lead after the first run. He probably could've skied down that course backwards and still won gold. Ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration—that was a seriously shitty course where one turn had Ligety almost pointing his skis back up the mountain in his second run. Evil conditions but nothing Ted couldn't handle. No big whoop.

COOL RUNNINGS, US-STYLE:

The American women have made history in the two-man bobsled by earning two medals—a silver to Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams and a bronze to Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse. Elana Meyers also becomes the first US woman with two bobsled medals and her teammate, Lauryn Williams becomes just the fifth Olympian to medal in different events at the Summer and Winter Games. She also has a gold medal from the 4x100-meter relay in the 2012 London Olympics.

So the current medal count shows the USA in the lead... naturally... with 25 total medals. However, Norway leads the charge in the gold medal count with 10 first place finishes. Only a few more days left and then a long, four year wait for the Winter Games to return.

No comments:

Post a Comment