Bang, Crash, Wallop what a Grand Prix

They say that the street circuit at Montreal is a slippery circuit. Seeing as it is partly used as normal roads for most of the year and not as a specific race track. However, you never thought that applied to underfoot until this weekend.




Lewis Hamilton was in the wars again, this wasn't his first incident of the day, but it was the one where he collided with his team mate Jenson Button. It was to be the first of 6 times Jenson had to go into the pits one of which was for a drive through penalty.



However, after the longest watching of a Grand Prix that I can remember, including all the wet birds, Rihanna turning up to a wet race without her Umberella, ella, ella.

You may well have waited up to watch the end of the race. It was certainly one of the most spectacular finishes of the year. On the penultimate lap Jenson Button despite all those excursions to the pits was just behind Sebastian Vettel, and was within one second to be able to operate his DRS (Drag Reduction System). Here are the final laps as seen from the German television commentators.

The Search for Canadian Gold is Over #Vancouver2010

Alexandre Bilodeau is the name that will go down in Canadian sporting folklore. After two full Olympic games on home soil he is the man who has broken the golden drought, every Valentine's Day he is bound to be remembered.

Having just missed out in the female moguls on Saturday with Jennifer Heil only taking the silver, Sunday saw Bilodeau succeed in the men's event. He finished ahead of the Canadian born Australian defending champion Dale Begg-Smith with American Bryon Wilson in third. Bilodeau and Wilson were the only finalists to attempt a double twisting back-flip off the top kicker.

But after a nervous wait while Frenchman came down the run last but sixth the Canadian dream of gold was finally over.

There was almost a shock for Canada earlier on the day in the men's biathlon sprint over 10km. At one of the standing shooting time check Jean Philippe Leguellec reached it first, but had to take a penalty loop for missing one of the targets. As it was there was a surprise when Vincent Jay of France took gold after a clean 10 targets. Wind and snow affected many of the favourites as only Jay and bronze medalist Jakov Fak of Croatia having a clear shoot. Briton Lee Jackson came in 55th good enough to qualify for the pursuit event later in the competition.

The women's 3000m speed skating saw another Canadian Kristina Groves podium for bronze. But she, German Stephanie Beckert and the rest of the field had no answer to world number one Czech Martina Sablikova, who was over 2 secs clear of the field to join that bunch of her famous compatriots and name-sakes at the top of women's sports.

Elsewhere

The completion of the emotional men's luge competition saw a changing of the guard. Defending champion from Italy Armin Zoeggeler winner of the last three golds could only claim the bronze behind a German one-two but even David Moeller could do nothing to hang on to his younger compatriot Alex Loch. Brit A.J. Rosen sadly dropped a place on the last run having picked his way up to 15th earlier in the day, thus failing to equal Jeremy Palmer-Tomkinson's (Tara's uncle) performance in Lake Placid in 1980.

The Nordic combined the event that combines ski jumping with cross country skiing led to an exciting climax at the end of the 10km second element. Johnny Spillane of the USA who took America's first medal in the Nordic combined was leading heading to the line but was out sprinted to the line by Jason Lamy Chappuis, taking France's second Nordic gold in two hours.

The figure skating also got underway with the Pairs short programme. Chinese Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhou ended Chinese New Year in top spot, ahead of Alona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy of Germany and Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov of Russia. The leading three had a bit of a gap over the other two Chinese pairs lying in 4th and 5th. Britains representatives Stacey Kemp & David King lie in 16th place overnight before the free programme on Monday.

The Canadian Gold Search - Day 2 #Vancouver 2010

In the summer of 1976 at Montreal and again in the winter of 1988 at Calgary Canada held the Olympics. But as hosts one thing was missing. Home gold.

Day 2 of the Vancouver Olympics was the one that Canada hoped that duck would be beaten. However, the conditions of the snow being too soft meant that local Whistler resident Manuel Osborne-Paradis would not get his chance in the men's downhill event. Therefore all Canadian eyes fell to the Pacific Colesium where Oliver Jean or Charles Hamelin went in the short track speed skating or Cypress Mountain where Jennifer Heil was defending her title in the moguls.

Short Track Speed Skating

Both the men did make the semi-finals of the 1500m but only Jean progressed to the final. World number two Hamelin having to content himself with victory only in the B final. However, the final was dominated by the Koreans Jung-Su Lee, Ho-Suk Lee, Si-Bak Sung and American Apolo Anton Ohno. With all four swapping and changing position through the closing laps, a crash in the last corner took Ho-Suk Lee and Si-Bak Sung out of medal contention, but Jung-Su Lee crossed the line safely for gold, with Ohno winning silver for his sixth Olympic medal.

Moguls

In the rain and slosh conditions on Cypress Mountain, Heil and compatriot Kirsti Richards qualified 2nd and 4th from the qualifying round. The main competition coming from Americans Hannah Kearney, Heather McPhie, Shannon Bahrke and Michelle Roark or Japanese competitor Aiko Uemura. In the final Bahrke led, Uemura was second and Canadian Chloe Dufour-Lapointe third before the top four went down their runs.

However, both Richards and McPhie had poor runs and dropped to the bottom of the table. Leaving the local girl Heil to take the penultimate run, she went off the first kicker with a 360, the second with a back flip with iron cross to go into the lead. Leaving just one person who could spoil the Canadian mood. Hannah Kearney came down t back flip off the first then a 360 off the second enough to take the top ariel and turn scores therefore with it the gold.

Heil said:

"I felt like I was standing on the shoulders of so many Canadians. I felt like I had their wings on my back. This is Canada's medal.

"Canadians can be assured that the gold medal is coming on home soil. Canada have such a strong team."

Elsewhere

You don't win anything for the first game of the team events but Canada's women did hand out a highest ever Olympic thrashing over Slovakia with an 18-0 win in the Ice Hockey. This is a Hockey nation after all but if they have to wait until the hockey finals to seek gold the Canadians will be under performing.

The first gold went to Simon Ammann of Switzerland in the normal hill ski jumping competition. In the women's biathlon sprint there was a surprise winner in Slovakia's Anastazia Kuzmina. In the men's 5000m Speed Skating Dutch world number one Sven Kummar went one better than in Turin picking up a gold in an Olympic record, his girlfriend had scored the winning goal for the Netherland's in the Hockey final in Beijing.

The Luge got underway without Nodar Kumaritashvili's Georgian compatriot Levan Gureshidze taking to the start gate. After the first two runs the German's Felix Loch and David Muller lead. Top Canadian before Sunday's final two runs is Samuel Edney in 10th 0.977 secs back.

Brits

In the luge Adam Rosen currently lies 16th 1.331 seconds down on the leader.

Youngsters Ellie Koyander finished 24th in the Women's Moguls failing to qualify for the top 20 who made the final, while Jack Whelbourne made the semis of the short track 1500m. Douglas Anthony had come 4th in his heat in the 1500m short track failing to progress. Sarah Lindsay and Elise Christie have both qualified for the semi-finals of the women's 500m short track on Sunday.

The Canadian Gold Search - Day 2 #Vancouver 2010

In the summer of 1976 at Montreal and again in the winter of 1988 at Calgary Canada held the Olympics. But as hosts one thing was missing. Home gold.

Day 2 of the Vancouver Olympics was the one that Canada hoped that duck would be beaten. However, the conditions of the snow being too soft meant that local Whistler resident Manuel Osborne-Paradis would not get his chance in the men's downhill event. Therefore all Canadian eyes fell to the Pacific Colesium where Oliver Jean or Charles Hamelin went in the short track speed skating or Cypress Mountain where Jennifer Heil was defending her title in the moguls.

Short Track Speed Skating

Both the men did make the semi-finals of the 1500m but only Jean progressed to the final. World number two Hamelin having to content himself with victory only in the B final. However, the final was dominated by the Koreans Jung-Su Lee, Ho-Suk Lee, Si-Bak Sung and American Apolo Anton Ohno. With all four swapping and changing position through the closing laps, a crash in the last corner took Ho-Suk Lee and Si-Bak Sung out of medal contention, but Jung-Su Lee crossed the line safely for gold, with Ohno winning silver for his sixth Olympic medal.

Moguls

In the rain and slosh conditions on Cypress Mountain, Heil and compatriot Kirsti Richards qualified 2nd and 4th from the qualifying round. The main competition coming from Americans Hannah Kearney, Heather McPhie, Shannon Bahrke and Michelle Roark or Japanese competitor Aiko Uemura. In the final Bahrke led, Uemura was second and Canadian Chloe Dufour-Lapointe third before the top four went down their runs.

However, both Richards and McPhie had poor runs and dropped to the bottom of the table. Leaving Heil to take the penultimate run, she went off the first kicker with a 360, the second with a back flip with iron cross to go into the lead. Leaving just one person who could spoil the Canadian mood. Hannah Kearney came down t back flip off the first then a 360 off the second enough to take the top ariel and turn scores therefore with it the gold.

Heil said:

"I felt like I was standing on the shoulders of so many Canadians. I felt like I had their wings on my back. This is Canada's medal.

"Canadians can be assured that the gold medal is coming on home soil. Canada have such a strong team."

Elsewhere

You don't win anything for the first game of the team events but Canada's women did hand out a highest ever Olympic thrashing over Slovakia with an 18-0 win in the Ice Hockey. This is a Hockey nation after all but if they have to wait until the hockey finals to seek gold the Canadians will be under performing.

The first gold went to Simon Ammann of Switzerland in the normal hill ski jumping competition. In the women's biathlon sprint there was a surprise winner in Slovakia's Anastazia Kuzmina. In the men's 5000m Speed Skating Dutch world number one Sven Kummar went one better than in Turin picking up a gold in an Olympic record, his girlfriend had scored the winning goal for the Netherlands in the Hockey final in Beijing.

The Luge got underway without Nodar Kumaritashvili's Georgian compatriot Levan Gureshidze taking to the start gate. After the first two runs the German's Felix Loch and David Muller lead. Top Canadian before Sunday's final two runs is Samuel Edney in 10th 0.977 secs back.

Brits

In the luge Adam Rosen currently lies 16th 1.331 seconds down on the leader.

Youngsters Ellie Koyander finished 24th in the Women's Moguls failing to qualify for the top 20 who made the final, while Jack Whelbourne made the semis of the short track 1500m. Douglas Anthony had come 4th in his heat in the 1500m short track failing to progress. Sarah Lindsay and Elise Christie have both qualified for the semi-finals of the women's 500m short track on Sunday.

Happy Birthday Dufferin County

Coming from Bangor, County Down I was surrounded by places named after the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Hamilton-Temple Blackwood. He was a major landowner all across the County Down and has locations and plagues in buildings all over the place.

He served as Govenor General to Canada from 1872-8 and it was interesting to stumble across the news that Orangeville, Dufferin County, Ontaria is to honour the 125th Anniversary of the naming of the county with a statue of the man who did a great influence of the advancement of Canada.

Back home you can play golf at Blackwood Golf Club, drink at the Ava Bar next to the train station, walk along Dufferin Avenue or Hamilton Road where you'll find Dufferin Hall attached to Bangor Parish Church, or further along to Hamilton House.