Global warming isn't helping either. Personally I think the artificial snow controversy is overblown. Sochi was like 80%+ artificial snow, Pyeongchang was like 90%+ artificial snow, and when I go to Lake Tahoe ski resorts, there's plenty of artificial snow unless there's been a storm lately. LA area ski resorts are almost 100% artificial snow. Artificial snow isn't as nice as fresh powder but it gets the job done.
Yes a I think most recent Olympics have used artificial snow to bring conditions up to standards. It's not just the conditions on the course but the whole environment. Part of Alpine sports is the Alpine environment tall pine trees on rugged snow packed mountains. Just not seeing that with this Olympics. It's more like scrubby brown trees on brown hills.
I think they did the same thing in Salt Lake. With medals awarded not at the event forums but in downtown Salt Lake.
Just watched two Russians take Gold and Silver in the Skiathalon event. Given the Russian history of doping, why they can't compete as Russia or use the Russian flag but as "Russian Olympic Committee" I wonder what sort of testing the two Russians are undergoing.
That Russian girl busting quad spins is the best ice skater ever it was actually interesting to watch -- she even got the yips and fell on one and still finished in first.
Mass casualty event at Men's Downhill last night. No practice due to winds and it showed. One skier was stretchered off the mountain after a violent crash. Not sure what happened to this guy:
Wow Ireen Wust. Gold on the 1500 Speed skating. 5th Olympics with a gold medal. I read somewhere that she was the only athlete to win a gold medal on an individual event in 5 different Olympic games. She deserves it. So sad she is retiring after these games.
Congratulations to Francesca Lollobrigida. Whoops congratulated the wrong girl for whatever it was she did skating around.
That is part of what I was talking about that scenery around Beijing doesn't really lend itself to Winter Sports. There just isn't that beautiful Alpine scenery that we come to expect and also it is very heavy industrialized around Beijing. FYI here is where the freestyle skiing was in the Vancouver Olympics.
