The OFFICIAL 2014 Winter Olympics Thread

[Platypus]

Hoping for a hat trick from possibly the most attractive woman in the games, both in looks and personality.

[Platypus]

FWIW, the AOC's official target is 5 medals, including at least 1 gold. Medal chances (some brighter than others, with asterisk)...

Dale Begg-Smith, Moguls
Pierre Boda, Short track skating
Torah Bright, Snowboard halfpipe* and slopestyle*
Belle Brockhoff, Snowboard Cross (openly lesbian, so everyone should cheer her on, yes?)
Britt Cox, Moguls
Holly Crawford, Snowboard halfpipe
Matt Graham, Moguls
Russ Henshaw, Ski Slopestyle*
Jarryd Hughes, Snowboard Cross
Nate Johnstone, Snowboard halfpipe
Lydia Lassila, Aerials*
David Morris, Aerials*
Laura Peele, Aerials
Chumpy Pullin, Snowboard Cross*
Anna Segal, Ski Slopestyle*
Amy Sheehan, Ski halfpipe
Michelle Steele, Skeleton

With declared intent to finish in the top 15, this is easily the strongest Australian team ever. It's weird to think that we only won our first winter medal in 1998 qand first old in 2002 and we're now a serious chance at top 15. We've won 5 medals all up so far, and have a real chance to double that in this games.

[Platypus]

Also a girl I went to school with is not yet qualified, but if she does she's an outside chance of doing something impressive. Katya Crema in the Freestyle Skiing has an 8th at the 2013 World Championships, so you never know

[Platypus]

*Insert Hitler had no real issue with Jesse Owens who claimed he received far more racism at the welcome home parades than he ever did in Berlin claim here*

Anyway, I', definitely hoping for a good handful of lgbt medals, but I always do. This year it's especially important though, of course.

[Platypus]

The Soviet Russian anthem really is special.

More than ready for the proper ceremony to start. *Goes and gets coffee*

[Platypus]

If Australia can cover it live at stupid o'clock...

[Platypus]

Australia's had a lesbian gold medallist since the 50s

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Tomorrow there's a pretty good chance we get the first of the 5 medals we're hoping/aiming for, with Torah Bright in the Slopestyle. She's more a favourite in the halfpipe, but taking on three events with a chance to medal in all three is pretty good.

All three Aussies have made the final of the women's moguls, although none are particularly strong medal chances.

Scotty James kind of bombed the men's slopestyle. Again, it's not his primary event, but he was expected to do better than 16th.

There's a definite hope that we do better than the UK this year, and to do so, things need to fall our way, starting with the women's moguls tonight.

[Platypus]

'Iffy' is generous. If Torah Bright is actually saying anything negative about anything ever, you know it's really, really, really bad.

Anna Segal has just come 4th in the women's ski slopestyle

[Platypus]

Shaun White isn't looking the goods.

[Platypus]

The IOC is pretty strict about international access to Olympics footage. for example, the ABC can show highlights of the Olympics if the broadcaster (Ten) agrees to release them for a news broadcast, but if that broadcast is available on the Australia Network overseas, it's not useable, and if it's live streamed in a way that is accessible overseas, they can't use it.

[Platypus]

Torah Bright had a pretty good day so far, going into the final in good form. I think the general feeling is Gold would be nice but a medal of any colour is required.

[Platypus]

We have a medal! Either silver or Bronze to Torah Bright

[Platypus]

Silver! Lovely

[Platypus]

4 Aussie women in the Aerials final, all genuine medal chances. The Chinese are probably stronger though, except that we have reigning Gold medallist, Lydia Lassila, who wipes out a lot more than most, but also goes for the biggest jumps. if she lands them, she wins... but *if* it a real question.

[Platypus]

Lasilla got a bronze, which means our last realistic gold chance is Chumpy Pullin in the Men's Snowboard Cross.

[Platypus]

Might be in for a medal in the men's aerials - David Morris has made the final 4, and still has a quintuple jump in his repertoire, so if he lands it would be very unlucky not to get a medal.

[Platypus]

HE STICKED IT!

[Platypus]

Morris is going to get the solver or brinze...

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both would be better than expectations...

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Crash!

I feel bad about this smile, but... Surprise Silver!

[Platypus]

That's pretty squiffy, tbh.

[Platypus]

As a neutral, the adjudication was questionable, but not as biased as the Russian win in the women's figure skating

[Platypus]

Holy moly Katya Crema is in the semis of the skicross. Middle Park Primary represent

[Platypus]

...and she's third in the semi after the Swede went haywire. Oh well :/

[Platypus]

Closing ceremony much, much better than the opening.

[Platypus]

If only Australis didn't have 2/3rds the population, and the summer games weren't significantly more competitive

[Platypus]

The driver of one of the Canadian bobsleighs was Australian, actually.