2022 Winter Olympics - Beijing

[Funk Butter]

Beijing defeated Almaty by a vote of 44-40, much closer than observers were expecting. (And the vote was done by paper ballot, after the first round of electronic voting wasn’t counted due to a glitch.) But in the end, the IOC decided to go with a country they know is capable.

Beijing will be the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, though “host” is a partial misnomer here—while the indoor ice events will take place in the city, it barely snows in Beijing itself. The snow events will be held in Zhangjiakou, 120 miles away.

I guess we won't be able to stay at Stigma's house since Norway bowed out for Beijing to swoop in.

[Adlerhorst]

Bit of a shame Almaty didn't get it.

The plus side of Almaty is no matter how drunk you get (and you will get drunk, it's like the law or something) you can always find your way back to where you are supposed to be. The whole town slopes one way and there are mountains to the north so you can always work which way to go.

Also the gypsy cab system is awesome. Flag down random member of the public and attempt (in Russian, you have no chance in Kazakh) to explain where you want to go and to negotiate a price.

[Funk Butter]

Originally Posted by Adlerhorst

Bit of a shame Almaty didn't get it.

The plus side of Almaty is no matter how drunk you get (and you will get drunk, it's like the law or something) you can always find your way back to where you are supposed to be. The whole town slopes one way and there are mountains to the north so you can always work which way to go.

Also the gypsy cab system is awesome. Flag down random member of the public and attempt (in Russian, you have no chance in Kazakh) to explain where you want to go and to negotiate a price.

I take it Almaty actually has snow in winter, unlike....

[TeamSlack]

Originally Posted by Adlerhorst

Also the gypsy cab system is awesome. Flag down random member of the public and attempt (in Russian, you have no chance in Kazakh) to explain where you want to go and to negotiate a price.

Sounds like Baltimore City

[hong_kong_hg]

...

[Funk Butter]

With no snow at the mountain where they're doing the alpine skiing, the fake snow sounds like ice as the skiers come down it.

[Funk Butter]

No wonder they can go so high in the aerial event.

[Adlerhorst]

Drugs failure.

Russian

I’m shocked.

[Webb]

Originally Posted by Funk Butter

No wonder they can go so high in the aerial event.

There was another view of the venue from a wider angle that looked like a ski jump in the middle of LA from Blade Runner. Bleak.

[Webb]

Originally Posted by Adlerhorst

Drugs failure.

Russian

I’m shocked.

Fingers pointing at the coaches rather than a 15 year old girl do we think?

'Take this.' 'Er, OK'

Always amazed these days people/coaches think they can get away with it, particularly given the history of state-sponsored doping. Sure the 'random' IOC tests aren't looking anywhere in particular.......

[Webb]

I'm really enjoying the Games. Was great to see Jacobellis get redemption in the boarding cross, 16 (!) years on.

Feel for Mikaela Shiffrin, but that's how it goes.

[Webb]

Sad to see White bow out, but what a career.

Kim is head and shoulders the best female rider - quite an achievement to have two years out between Games and still be so dominant and make very difficult things look very easy.

Man, I wish I'd got my arse in gear and sorted a trip out to the Alps this year. Need £ for possible house move so maybe next year!

[Herr Colonpharter]

Appears ice hockey now have 'goalies' rather than 'net minders'

[Big Blue Eagle]

Looks like Meatloaf faked his own death and is now one of the lead US curlers…

[Adlerhorst]

Well they can have a medal ceremony for the ice skating now.

[Hedgehog]

Looks like GB hasn't won any medals yet (guaranteed 1 in curling I see).

This is pretty bad going by recent standards isn't it?

I read somewhere that the GB Skeleton association had been given something like £6.5 million in government grants over the last 4 years... WTF!

[bubbs11]

GB take an early lead in Men’s Curling final.

[Big Blue Eagle]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog

Looks like GB hasn't won any medals yet (guaranteed 1 in curling I see).

This is pretty bad going by recent standards isn't it?

I read somewhere that the GB Skeleton association had been given something like £6.5 million in government grants over the last 4 years... WTF!

Two guaranteed medals in curling, silver already in the bag by the men. There has been some pretty sh*t luck on the snow with injuries to medal hopes very late, but the skeleton was dreadful. Past winners think the issue was with the tech on the sleds not working as it should.

[Big Blue Eagle]

Going the extra miles….

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[Hedgehog]

Originally Posted by Big Blue Eagle

There has been some pretty sh*t luck on the snow with injuries to medal hopes very late, but the skeleton was dreadful. Past winners think the issue was with the tech on the sleds not working as it should.

Needed more WD-40 on the bottom of their baking tray.