Russia sticking their OARs in: Winter Olympics 2018

[Gerontophile]

That race where about 6 of them slide downhill on snowboards was absolutely mental. Of the two men's semis (fnarr), 9 of the 12 fell on their arses.

[Gerontophile]

The final is won (again) by Baultier of France. Only 3 fallers there.

*I know it's very dangerous, and one of the guys is probably still lying on the mountain, but that was hilarious.

[Gerontophile]

That women's ice hockey got a bit fighty in the last few seconds.

[Hot Pepsi]

Canada has been better over the past year or so.

Since the US and Canada are heads and shoulders above everyone else, they try to play each other a lot - like that island that has a football league with only two teams. The US has won it’s fair share but it seems to always be in the downswing of the cycle when the Olympics come around.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Yay! Svindal won the downhill!

[Wouter D]

That race where about 6 of them slide downhill on snowboards was absolutely mental. Of the two men's semis (fnarr), 9 of the 12 fell on their arses.

My favorite event of the Winter Games. They used to do a separate one on skis rather than snowboards, which was also really good. Is that going to happen this year again?

Thanks to all for the answers to my hockey question. Most informative.

[Flynnie]

Yes, that's what I thought watching it. It annoys me that BBC have to do this soft-soaping; they have a speed-skater in the studio, but cos she's a mate with Christie she won't offer that analysis.

The BBC's coverage has declined as more and more British Winter Olympians sniff something approaching medal contention. It's nowhere near as bad as NBC, whose motto is "If an American isn't a gold medal contender, we don't care", but you can feel the pom-poms coming out for Christie and some others (they spent a lot of time pumping Robert Musgrave's tyres) in an embarrassing way.

The nadir was last time around, when the Gap Yah twats who commentate on the snowboarding sports were openly cheering for other competitors to screw up so Jenny Jones could win a medal.

Strangely, they're quite restrained when it comes to the skeleton and their commentators have always been professional, despite it being the one sport GB should actually expect medals in.

[Snake Plissken]

I absolutely fucking despise the twats who commentate on the snowboard events. They are Tim Westwoods, desperately trying to be down with the yoof.

Part of the problem is that it is such a small, and therefore insular world.

Although the worst example was the ex-GB bobsled guy who called the first run in the men’s luge as full of errors. He led after it.

[Ray de Galles]

That race where about 6 of them slide downhill on snowboards was absolutely mental. Of the two men's semis (fnarr), 9 of the 12 fell on their arses.

Oh, has that started again? Missed it, bugger.

[Mumpo]

Am I missing a trick with the BBC's online live coverage? I want to watch the 10,000m speed skating but all it seems to be offering me is the Men's Biathlon and curling.

BBC Coverage

You really want to watch the curling, don't you?

You can either switch your telly over to BBC One or, if you're at work, use the player at the top of this page to keep a sneaky eye on proceedings

No, I want to watch the speed skating. Give me a link.

[Ray de Galles]

They now share the rights with Discovery/Eurosport who seem to have the section of the rights allowing them to run the multiple streams leaving the BBC with only two things to air live at a time (and often one, which they show on both the main channel and red button - as they are right now).

[Flynnie]

I've found for both BBC and Eurosport that what they say they're showing often has a tenuous relationship to what is actually being shown.

[Logan Mountstuart]

The BBC's obvious desperation to get "us all to love the curling" is driving me off my tits. Childish montages with loud, pumpy music for a sport that's basically a cumbersome, messy version of crown green bowling played by austere, unsmiling clones in Team gb kit.

Who the bloody hell wants to watch curling with all this amazing, skillful, slide stuff going on?

Ah, of course. We might win the odd, expensively bought medal in it.

I despise curling.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Can't edit. But wanted to say the screaming gets on my nerves as well.

[Mumpo]

Slow-motion darts on ice.

[Ray de Galles]

I've found for both BBC and Eurosport that what they say they're showing often has a tenuous relationship to what is actually being shown.

That always been the case with Eurosport, they basically want you to subscribe to their player to get reliable feeds.

[ursus arctos]

The Dutch win the long track events even when they aren’t skating for the Netherlands

[Mumpo]

Are you ****ing kidding? Now they offer online, recorded coverage of the 10,000m - right after ther text feed has revealed the result!

[ursus arctos]

The luge "relay" is actually quite fun

[Snake Plissken]

Love curling as it’s brilliant and anyone who disagrees should henceforth be known as Wrongy McWrongo

[Ray de Galles]

I'm pretty sure "Slow-motion darts on ice" was a positive comment.

[Snake Plissken]

Yeah. That guy gets to stay.

[Mumpo]

I'm pretty sure "Slow-motion darts on ice" was a positive comment

I'm pretty sure it wasn't.

The one crucial thing bowls has that curling lacks is the ability to send your wood on a curved trajectory, and therefore get in behind the opposition's attempts. It adds the vital element of strategy which lifts the game to an enjoyable level. Without that, curling is glorified target practice.

[Toby Gymshorts]

the ability to send your wood on a curved trajectory

Hur hur hur.

[Mumpo]

Look I was going to use 'balls' but decided that was too puerile.