Winter Olympics 2010

Yes ... That's right ... Britain has won an individual GOLD MEDAL at the Vancouver Winter Olympics!!!!!

Williams Wins Gold

27 year old Amy Williams from Cambridge won a Gold Medal last night in the woman's 'Skeleton' (traveling at 80+ mph, head first, on a tea-tray) on the Whistler Sliding Center track.

That's our first 'individual' Gold in 30 years! The last one being Robin Cousins back in 1980. Amy set a new track record on her 3rd run of 53.68secs, taking Gold on her 4th and final run. The 'Golden Gal' was 0.56secs quicker than Silver medalist, Germany's Kerstin Szymkowiak.

I've always liked the Winter Olympics, and last night I found myself cheering out-loud for a girl with thighs bigger than mine, hurtling down a frozen log flume head first on a tea-tray! :indexCANAHAIH: WELL DONE THAT LASS!

On a more somber note I feel I must mention 'Luger' Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, of Georgia who, on Frid 14th February, the day before the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics, was tragically killed on the same course at the Whistler Center. At a speed of 143kph (90mph) Nodar lost control on the final turn #16 (Thunderbird). leaving the track and striking an un-padded steel post. RIP
Tragic Death of Luger

 

Congratulations and well done !!
Celebrating with you !

 

Blacksnake -
the British Girl Amy - did very well in beating all comers on her "tea tray" which is a tribute to her years of excellent training and dedication to her sport - as you point out at a speed of 84 MPH...

the real tragedy of the younger(21) Georgian lad who was killed is the fact that he was virtually a novice at this sport - was a bit of a challenger - called his Father as he was scared of the track, also an ex Luge competitor, who advised him to lower his legs in order to slow down but this advice was brushed aside - he then went down the slide at 95MPH - made a mistake on a last curve - left the track and was killed.

No doubt the investigation report will be close to that scenario in a few months. I would add that the Luge Federation wanted a faster track than that of Torino in the last games - they got it - and a young man died - it has now been adjusted to a top speed of 85MPH close to which Amy won her gold ...
we can only say - "Well Done that there Girl "

Cheers

 

Hear Hear and well done Amy Williams. I too have been watching the games on Eurosport and am enjoying them. Bring on the Bobsleigh

 

I would add my congratulations to this effort by Amy Williams. Well done here in Canada.

As we sat at supper last night, Mrs. MC and I were talking about how truly dangerous in many ways the winter olympic events are as compared to the summer games. The tremendous speeds -- and think of those poor sods going down in the Skeleton races -- head first. She mentioned a cross-country skier who went just out of a track and over the edge of hill. I think of those speed skaters with their sharp blades and massive tumbles. You don't hear of people being hit by javelins or shot put in the summer games.

One of my favourite Olympians will always be Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards. Now there was a lad who enjoyed his lack of success in Calgary in '88. He even has his own rule in the Olympics -- a golden legacy to the games.

May they all do their best performance in their endeavours -- safely.

cheers,
phil

 

Well done Amy, congratulations.

 

AMY, Very best wishes and all our congratulations on your GOLD. Just shows you ,the old firm still has it !
Now rest easy... youv,e shown the way .
Love from G.B.

 

Watched this Live. Haven't stayed up that late for years! Superb result. Condolences to Shelley Rudman and partner Kristan Bromley who just slipped below Medal position.

Hopes still lying with the Curlers and the Kerrs.

Steve W.

 

Well done!

Been watching a lot of snowboarding. Torah Bright really did a great piece of work bringing home the gold medal for Australia.



Jakob

 

Congrats Amy, awesome. Woohoo!

 

Great to see the UK winning a medal, especially a Gold in the Winter Olympics.

As has been stated, the Winter Olympics and winter sports are üpotentially dangerous, as has been proved. There is no margin for error at the speeds that these competitors achieve.

Regards
Tom

 

You don't hear of people being hit by javelins or shot put in the summer games.


Well not hit by a javelin but I do have a story about one.

When I was in high school there was a guy a year behind me who was on the track and field team and his sport was the javelin. I guess he was pretty good and the coach used to let him take a javelin home after school on the weekends to practice.

Well this fellow would ride his bike to school and carry the javelin home while riding his bike. One day he took to tossing the spear ahead of himself as he was riding his bike and then pulling it out of the ground as he passed by it. An excellent formula for disaster.

What happened was that one time (the last time) as he was passing by the javelin he reached over to pull it out of the ground and the back end of it caught him under the ribcage. Because of his speed on the bike, he was picked up off the bike and the javelin passed right through his body (blunt end first) and he fell at the side of the road.

Luckily for him a passing car stopped and somehow got him to the hospital where they managed to remove the javelin and save his life. This guy was lucky not to be given a Darwin award.

I don't think anyone was allowed to take javelins home after school anymore after that incident.

 

Am I cynical, too bl**dy old, or just don't get it, but I have never been able to come to grips with the (country) won a gold medal at the olympics. Always thought it was the competitor who won it. Congratulations to Amy Williams and all the other
individuals who have and will win gold for themselves.
David

 

beeza ... I think the attitude to the winning of any competitive event on an International level really depends on the Nation doing the winning. Meaning ... the Winter Games, for example, in the ski jump competition countries like japan have athletes competing that have been in national training centers since the age of 9 or 10. They receive academic schooling whilst at the training center, and grow and develop into the competitors you see today. It would be fair to say then that the country of Japan has won a medal, because it was Japan that developed the competitor.

On the 'flip' side ... The UK doesn't nurture, develop or even encourage competitors for winter sports. We're much more likely to put some grit down and dig a path when it comes to snow. So how can we compete against nations who ski to the corner shop for a packet of fags

But ... Amy Williams was representing Great Britain. Yes, She won the medal for herself, but I feel very proud knowing that she achieved that level of competition despite the lack of opportunity, funding and facilities available in the UK. The good old British die hard spirit is what got her there, and that's what I take pride in. Eddie the Eagle is a good, if not miss-guided example.

 

Well not hit by a javelin but I do have a story about one.

That's amazing. Darwin was waiting to be sure.

Just for the hell of it, I googled "Javelin accident" and remarkable, I nailed it, so to speak.


YouTube - Javelin Accident Rome

and there are more. But don't want to hijack this celebratory thread.

Well done, Amy, for the Nation and your personal achievement/.

cheers,
phil

 

You have got a point there BS but I still don't have to like it. I often wonder what would happen if the Olympics went back to purely amateur competition, and before big brother in the form of our governments got into the act and promoted sports for national prestige.
David

 

You have got a point there BS but I still don't have to like it. I often wonder what would happen if the Olympics went back to purely amateur competition, and before big brother in the form of our governments got into the act and promoted sports for national prestige.
David

Well, I do agree there beeza. It does all seem a bit "My dads bigger than your dad"...

Unlucky to our 2 man bobsled chaps in form of Team GB1 ... apparently finishing upside down is frowned upon! At least they're okay.

 

I thought this was going to be a thread about some WW2 gold stolen by the Canadians!