Oops She Did It Again

Lindsey Jacobellis must be the unluckiest Olympian there is.

Four years ago in Torino she was leading by a country mile but decided to do a grab off the last jump within sight of the gold.



This year having won everything in between she crashed through one of the control gates in the semi-final and ended up having to content herself with winning the B-Final for 5th place overall.

Meanwhile the main event saw more Canadian gold as Maelle Ricker who lives in Vancouver won not just on home soil, but her home mountain. As with the men it was the junior French team member who was here for 'experience' who experienced silver in Deborah Anthonioz. World champion Helene Olafsen of Norway and Switzerland's Olivia Nobs crashed out half way down.

What a Finish

Yesterday in the men's Boarder Cross final the Canadian's thought they were on to a another gold. Most of the way down the track Mike Robertson (red bib) had been in the lead. Defending champion Seth Westcott (black bib) had a poor start away from the gate. Indeed at the turn that had been the unseating of many through the rounds he was lying in fourth spot of the four.

But his compatriot Nate Holland fell leaving room for the unexpected French finalist Tony Ramoin who had never podiumed at any event sitting in silver. But the experience of Westcott showed as he carried speed through the technical end to the Whistler course, overtaking first Romoin and then on the last corner overhauling the Canadian. As you can see from the picture above over the last jump it was still close but a perfect landing saw Westcott take the gold once again and Canada had to settle for a silver.

It was better than they fared in the men's downhill where Eric Guay coming in fifth. But American Bode Miller attacked the top of the course to become an early leader, but he was later edged out by edged our Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal by 0.02 of a second. But the cowbells were soon ringing in force as Swiss Didier Defago took another seven hundredths out of that lead for gold.

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo had a very happy start to the Chinese year of the tiger lifting gold in the figure skating pairs, fellow Chinese pair Pang Qing and Tong Jian took silver and Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy the bronze.

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.

Women Can't Jump - Need for Gender Balance

From the London Olympic Games when women's boxing is included in the Olympic programme only one sport will not have male and female competitors at either the Summer or Winter Olympiads. That event was the first to award medals today in Vancouver.

While Switzerland's Simon Amman won the first gold of the Games apparently women can't jump, that is ski jump, at least not yet at these Games. There are 100 women* from 18 countries prepared to hurl themselves off the end of the ramp into the air at elite level, not one of them will be seen doing so in Vancouver this fortnight.

Last summer the women tried to take Vanoc (the organising committee) to court through the Canadian civil law for inclusion on equality grounds. They said their exclusion violated Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Judge agreed that their case was discriminatory but couldn't be fought through Canadian courts, but also said Vanoc were right that only the IOC (International Olympic Committee) had authority to decide on sports inclusions. She said:

"The IOC made a decision that discriminates against the plaintiffs. Only the IOC can alleviate that discrimination by including an Olympic ski jumping event for women in the 2010 Games."

Canadian ski jumper Katie Willis said, "It's awful that we lost, but I'm glad we tried." Both Wills and world champion Lindsey Van had previously requested a meeting with Jacques Rogge the IOC President before the court case to argue their case, but the meeting never came to fruition.

There are only five competitive days of Ski jumping on the hills plus three for the Nordic combined. Therefore there is no technical reason why a women's even could not be fitted into the schedule, the women are appealing to Rogge for inclusion in 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

Maybe we should get Jo Swinson on their case.

* I have it on good authority none of the 100 is my good friend Caron.

Let the Games Begin

I've let all of you who didn't stay up to watch the opening ceremony live see the highlights. But not lets the games begin.

First up here is a look at the venues from the official Vanoc highlight of their progress a couple of years back.



Or a more relaxed look at the venues etc after looking through the sciencey bit above.



Of course while the Olympics is all about taking part, but you do, if you take part, want to come home with one of these.



Introducing Quatchi, Miga, Sumi and Mukmuk the mascots.



So all that is left now that the pomp and circumstance of the opening ceremony is out of the way is to get to the action. But maybe not forget the Pomp and Circumstance just yet.



Five videos, one in each of the colours of the rings of the Olympic rings. Starting with black for Nodar Kumaritashvili ending in green for go.