Winter Olympics: 2010

Ok, let me just begin by saying, after the Beijing Opening Ceremony I did not think another country could compete, but I have to admit, Canada impressed me! Vancouver did a FABULOUS job!!! It was one of the BEST Opening Ceremonies I have EVER seen. Vancouver has won my undying admiration. It was a spectacular show by any standard. The use of light, pyrotechnics, digital imagery, and other modern technology, created a surreal atmosphere in the olympic arena. David Atkins is a genius! Granted, this is coming from someone who was watching from the comfort of her living room couch, but I can only imagine how much more fantastic it was for those actually present! One of the highlights for me was near the beginning, when it looked like there were whales, swimming beneath the surface of the ice - complete with water (or some equivalent) bursting from the floor like blow holes. Of course, being a fan of Sarah McLachlan, I also enjoyed the the whole "tree" segment. And then there were the snow boarders and skiers, suspended over a sheet mountain... honestly, I just really loved the whole thing.

I should probably admit my bias here. I am, and have always been, a huge fan of the Olympics. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when my Mom was pregnant with me, she watched the 1980 Winter (Lake Placid - in my home state!) and Summer (Moscow) Olympics (she even came up with my name during the gymnastics... I guess you could say, I was named after a gymnast)... or maybe it was that watching the Olympics (both Summer and Winter) was a family event growing up.

Vancouver did have its share of troubles... Nothing goes off without a hitch, even a production costing upwards of $40 million. In this case it was a hydraulic system malfunction. Unfortunately, Vancouver's hitch came at a most inopportune time: the lighting of the torch - the single most important event of the opening ceremonies. One of the four pillars failed to rise, resulting in a stranded torch-bearer, holding a flame and having nothing to light. Poor Catriona LeMay Doan. =( Despite that little mishap, I think the media is making too big a deal out of it. The torch was lit, the games continue. The end... or the beginning.

It was a shock to no one that Wayne Gretzky would be one of the torch-bearers, in a country where ice hockey rules. Even one of the American ice hockey competitors was asked to guess who would carry the final flame of the 2010 games, and he named Gretzky as the "safe bet."

This year, there were a couple of traditions I picked up on that I had never noticed before.

1. Greece always leads the Parade of Nations since the Ancient Olympics games originated in Greece, and the first of the modern Olympic games was hosted by Greece in 1896.

2. The host nation enters last.

Interesting Facts:

1. No South American country has ever medaled in the Winter Olympics

2. Canada is America's largest oil importer

3. Iceland has the northernmost capitol in the world and yet has never medaled in a Winter Olympics

4. Iran brought its first female to represent at a Winter Olympics (alpine skiing)

5. 82 countries are represented at the 2010 Olympics

6. 2638 athletes arrived in Vancouver to compete in the 2010 Olympics

7. 215 of the athletes are representing the United States, surpassing Canada's 206

8. In Torino, Italy, (2006) Germany won the most medals (the US came in second and Canada was third). This year, Canada does not want to be shown up on their own turf. =)

Most touching/memorable moment:

The world gave a standing ovation in the arena as Georgia entered to honor the luge athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died on the luge track earlier in the day.

Missing Countries:

Afghanistan

Iraq

Most of the African countries

Trinidad (I guess they don't have any bob-sledders left)

There were many more missing, but these are the ones I noticed

Well, that was a great start to a great tradition. Let the games begin!!!