Winter Olympics (1 Viewer)

[Madmarsha]

I think that's the love of curling. The dream is still alive!

 

[Cage1]

Okay, I'm getting into these more now that our Asian-Americans (who aren't defecting to our ideological enemies) are stepping up and winning some golds.

 

[Sailorsaint]

I understand being proud of being in the Olympics after years of hard work and training, but if you didn’t really “earn” it?….

Meet the American-made China hockey team

With players from the U.S. and Canada, China's men's hockey team might be the most fascinating (and controversial) team at the Winter Games.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Geldo]

As a boxing fan I will be looking forward to the women’s ice hockey clash between Canada and the US

 

[Optimus Prime]

So, wait, the Russians are dirty cheaters again?

Speaking of

Did anyone see the docuseries Medalling on peacock?

It’s about the skating judging scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics with the French judge

It was excellent

 

[sfidc3]

Shout out to Shaun White, best snowboarder in history. He went out with class....happy trails to the ultimate dude....was also really good on a skateboard....

 

[nolaspe]

Shout out to Shaun White, best snowboarder in history. He went out with class....happy trails to the ultimate dude....was also really good on a skateboard....

One of the chillest dudes ever, plus he gave this epic interview when he won gold at 19...

 

[Brad Mojo]

Speaking of

Did anyone see the docuseries Medalling on peacock?

It’s about the skating judging scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics with the French judge

It was excellent

This scandal is also an episode of the Netflix series "Bad Sport", including interviews with the actual parties involved.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Did they forget to turn the snow machine off? Can hardly see the slalom course

 

[Cage1]

Did they forget to turn the snow machine off? Can hardly see the slalom course

It was probably made in China.

 

[Madmarsha]

I am hearing the term "monobob" for the first time and snickering like a 12 year old.

Also, the "big air" snowboarding hill is literally right next to a nuclear power reactor plant?

 

[Optimus Prime]

Interesting article
==============

BEIJING (AP) — U.S.-born athletes have taken center stage at the Winter Olympics in Beijing — for the host country, that is, generating scrutiny of nationality-switching.

Eileen Gu, the prodigious — and, depending on who you ask, prodigal — freestyle skier who chose to compete for her mother’s native China over her native U.S., has drawn critical coverage that has at times veered into plain racism and misogyny.

But the likes of Gu and Jieruimi Shimisi — the Team China hockey goaltender (with no known Chinese heritage) formerly known as Jeremy Smith — are not the first to don the colors of a country where they were not born. Mutable nationality has a long history at the Olympics and, more generally, in the field of sports.


In an increasingly globalized society, is it any wonder that identity and nationality are fluid? Sports, after all, can be a great unifier of national identity — but also an expansive instrument for welcoming or attaining belonging.

Here’s a look at the nuts and bolts of competing for “another” country:

DO YOU HAVE TO BE A CITIZEN TO COMPETE FOR A COUNTRY?

Under the current Olympic Charter, yes. National Olympic Committees are responsible for entering competitors, and those competitors must be “a national” of that NOC’s country.

DOESN’T THAT MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE BORN IN A COUNTRY TO COMPETE FOR IT?

Birthright citizenship isn’t a universal concept. The U.S. is one of the most prominent practitioners of jus soli, conferring citizenship on anyone born on U.S. soil.

— Many countries use jus sanguinis — blood ties — in their citizenship criteria. If you are born in France, say, but your parents aren’t French, you can’t attain citizenship until your teenage years.

— Naturalization is another path to citizenship. Two common ways of attaining naturalization are jus domicilii (fulfilling residency requirements) and jus matrimonii (marriage to a citizen). Tim Koleto, a U.S.-born ice dancer representing Japan, is married to his Japanese skating partner, for instance.

—If you’re wealthy enough, you can also buy citizenship or at least a visa with a fast track to citizenship in some cases. Countries sometimes actively recruit, too — like China with its hockey team, though the details of that are a mystery.


With each country having dramatically different citizenship requirements — some as loose as having a single grandparent born on its soil — it would not be out of the question for a would-be competitor to have five passports.

SO WHAT IS THE CALCULUS BEHIND CHOOSING YOUR COUNTRY?

It’s a matter of opportunity and philosophy. If you’re a star player in a team sport, you would likely opt for the country that has the best chance of winning. But if your main goal is to just make it to the Olympics, you might find a clearer path through a country that’s not a powerhouse………

EXPLAINER: Competing for 'another' country is nothing new

U.S.-born athletes have taken center stage at the Winter Olympics in Beijing — for the host country, that is, generating scrutiny of nationality-switching.

apnews.com

 

[Sailorsaint]

Interesting article
==============

BEIJING (AP) — U.S.-born athletes have taken center stage at the Winter Olympics in Beijing — for the host country, that is, generating scrutiny of nationality-switching.

Eileen Gu, the prodigious — and, depending on who you ask, prodigal — freestyle skier who chose to compete for her mother’s native China over her native U.S., has drawn critical coverage that has at times veered into plain racism and misogyny.

But the likes of Gu and Jieruimi Shimisi — the Team China hockey goaltender (with no known Chinese heritage) formerly known as Jeremy Smith — are not the first to don the colors of a country where they were not born. Mutable nationality has a long history at the Olympics and, more generally, in the field of sports.


In an increasingly globalized society, is it any wonder that identity and nationality are fluid? Sports, after all, can be a great unifier of national identity — but also an expansive instrument for welcoming or attaining belonging.

Here’s a look at the nuts and bolts of competing for “another” country:

DO YOU HAVE TO BE A CITIZEN TO COMPETE FOR A COUNTRY?

Under the current Olympic Charter, yes. National Olympic Committees are responsible for entering competitors, and those competitors must be “a national” of that NOC’s country.

DOESN’T THAT MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE BORN IN A COUNTRY TO COMPETE FOR IT?

Birthright citizenship isn’t a universal concept. The U.S. is one of the most prominent practitioners of jus soli, conferring citizenship on anyone born on U.S. soil.

— Many countries use jus sanguinis — blood ties — in their citizenship criteria. If you are born in France, say, but your parents aren’t French, you can’t attain citizenship until your teenage years.

— Naturalization is another path to citizenship. Two common ways of attaining naturalization are jus domicilii (fulfilling residency requirements) and jus matrimonii (marriage to a citizen). Tim Koleto, a U.S.-born ice dancer representing Japan, is married to his Japanese skating partner, for instance.

—If you’re wealthy enough, you can also buy citizenship or at least a visa with a fast track to citizenship in some cases. Countries sometimes actively recruit, too — like China with its hockey team, though the details of that are a mystery.


With each country having dramatically different citizenship requirements — some as loose as having a single grandparent born on its soil — it would not be out of the question for a would-be competitor to have five passports.

SO WHAT IS THE CALCULUS BEHIND CHOOSING YOUR COUNTRY?

It’s a matter of opportunity and philosophy. If you’re a star player in a team sport, you would likely opt for the country that has the best chance of winning. But if your main goal is to just make it to the Olympics, you might find a clearer path through a country that’s not a powerhouse………

EXPLAINER: Competing for 'another' country is nothing new

U.S.-born athletes have taken center stage at the Winter Olympics in Beijing — for the host country, that is, generating scrutiny of nationality-switching.

apnews.com

What's really interesting is that China is not a dual citizenship country. Which means any US citizen competing for them would have to give up US citizenship. And the US does not make that easy.

 

[Zztop]

Sha’Carri Richardson: Tests positive for pot
•Banned from Olympics

Kamila Valieva: Tests positive for Trimetazidine
•Approved for Olympics


also:

 

[Sailorsaint]

So, now they are going to allow the Russian ice skater to continue to compete after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Their excuse is that she accidentally took her PawPaw's heart medicine....it just happened to be a performance enhancer....but don't get popped for marijuana, that'll get you booted. Honestly, what is going on? Russia was banned from the Olympics because of this but found a loop hole and entered anyway as the ROC. "Oh, were not representing the country of Russia, it's the Russian Olympic Committee." This has got to be the worst run Olympics in the history of Olympics. I would recommend we pull out and leave except I don't want to deprive our atheletes the opportunity to compete, they have trained so hard and for so long. I would like to see a US media blackballing of anything Russian....no interviews and just a passing mention of the results. Just interview all the other countries except Russia, no exposure.