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Let the games begin…

olympics

The Athens 2004 Summer Olympics kick off today with the opening ceremonies airing on TV tonight. And, as usual, I find myself getting caught up in a bit of Olympic Fever.

My favourite Olympics are the Winter games. That’s where Canadian athletes really shine, and where we get to see cool sports like fixed-judge figure skating, pot-a-rific snowbording (“awesome, dude!”), or loonie-lucky hockey that gives us 4 years of bragging rights over the Americans.

The Summer sports I most enjoy watching are the gymnastics, the diving, and the swimming. I’m also looking forward to seeing the games hosted in Athens; despite the countless problems that the Greeks have had in preparing for this moment, there’s something to be said for the historical implication.

Go Canada!

{ 13 comments… add one }
  • Jonny 08.13.04, 11:23 PM

    Go Australia!

  • just a guy 08.13.04, 11:56 PM

    why Australia? why do you support a country that sponsor the terror? Australia has troops in Iraq to kill arabs.

  • uhhhsegacs 08.14.04, 1:42 AM

    I lost what little respect I had for the IOC when they gave the 2008 games to Beijing.
    Juan Antonio Samaranch (sorry if I misspelled) is also a complete crook – he was in with Franco, and when Franco was out, got in with the IOC, despite not actually ever having been an athelete. Lastly, we’re still paying for when the buggers came to our town the last time!

  • DaninVan 08.14.04, 7:11 AM

    Women’s diving; yup, fer sure…

  • Tali 08.14.04, 2:13 PM

    Segacs – you’ll be happy to know that the Winter Olys will be a bit more fun next time. The new judging system is now fully up and running for all major international figureskating competitions. It’s far less open to manipulation, far more focused on athleticism, far more transparent (you can tell right away if a judge failed to mark down for a technical flaw that the other judges caught) and far easier for people who aren’t figureskating fans in non-olympic years to follow.

    Now if only the US networks would find another commentator and get rid of Dick Button, we’d be all set for Torino 2004!

  • Tali 08.14.04, 2:14 PM

    Oops, I meant 2006! (blush)

  • Jonny 08.14.04, 7:25 PM

    At this time Australia is leading in the medal tally with 2 golds and one silver, China is second with 2 golds and one bronze – Go Aussie.

    Speaking of the winter olympics we got our first gold in 2002 when our skater was coming fifth about a lap behind the front runners and the four front runners stacked and our guy went on to take the gold.

  • ScottAdler 08.15.04, 1:58 AM

    To hell with the Olympics.

    A memorial for the victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre was banned.

    The Palestinkers are a part of it, under the leadership of the man who ordered the same massacre — Yasser Arafat. (“Black September” never existed, it was all Fatah.)

  • Anonymous 08.15.04, 6:50 AM

    Where was the memorial planned for, Scott? Who banned it?

  • DaninVan 08.15.04, 6:51 AM

    Aeeeiii!! (*pulls hair*) That was me again.

  • s 08.15.04, 9:28 PM

    In Atlanta, four years ago, a memorial service was held for the athletes who were gunned down. The IOC would not participate. It was a private affair, put on by an American Jewish organization, attended by some of the families of those who were killed and the Israeli athletes who were competing in 1996.

    The IOC was invited to lend its name to the memorial, but apparently it declined. It wasn’t something it wanted to acknowledge.

    And yesterday just outside Sydney, on the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the Munich murders, two generations of Israeli athletes were honoured in ceremony. Those alive and those who were shot dead at the 1972 Summer Games.

    Again, the IOC was invited, and again it declined.

    From here: http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesColumnists/simmons_sep29-sun.html

  • Malia 08.16.04, 8:26 PM

    USA! USA! USA!

  • It doesn't matter 08.19.04, 6:25 AM

    Despite the countless attacks against the greeks
    on the matter of preparation, there should be something to be said about the end result. Alas….

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