Pyeongchang 2018 - Winter Olympics

Ladies, gentlemen (and lemurs), boys, girls and animals of every species, welcome one and all to a new thread for 2018 celebrating the winter Olympic Games!

While the games do not start for exactly a month as I create this thread, anticipation is growing as qualification is underway and teams are announced.

To start we can use this thread to talk about the teams, medal hopes, predictions and qualifications occurring in many winter sports. I would suggest watching some before the games to build up some knowledge that may help you understand what's going on as certain sports can be confusing ( for my fellow UK members the BBC sport website shows bobsled and skeleton and Eurosport shows biathlon, alpine skiing and cross country skiing and will also show the games like the BBC)

When the games start feel free to talk about the sports, ceremonies, winners and losers. So long as it links somewhat to the games it's fine by me!

This thread like the Olympics will be international and despite certain issues please do not turn this thread political or barrate other nations for doing poorly or well. Please let's keep this kind and fun, like @bongorob and his EPL thread it's a chance for animal lovers who like sport as well as animals to talk and have fun. I hope you enjoy the next month and 2 weeks. Heck if this goes well perhaps I will do this or others will be inspired to do this with other major sporting events.

So as they say: let the youth of the world come together here (with a love of animals) and enjoy a great sporting spectacle!

Please feel free to ask me any queries you have or suggest how the thread could be improved upon feel free to ask!

 

Let's just hope we take home a gold.

 

Team GB have several good chances especially in the ice sports! We've taken one gold at the last 2 games so it's likely we can get one this time around! But any medal is great!!

 

For those interested sports on today include:

Men's and women's skeleton
Men's alpine skiing
Men's ski jump
Nordic combined skiing
Men's biathlon relay
And slope style snowboarding

All are World Cup qualifying and the women's skeleton is on now at the time of this being posted.

 

let's hope North Korea can participate.

 

I believe they are going to they've been negotiating with the south to send a delegation to the games.

 

All nice and well, but everybody knows that the Olympics are all about one sport (and no it is not curling): speed skating. But maybe that is just a Dutch perspective

 

I love curling!How would you say that?

 

Curling is ok if your British or Swedish as they've done well recently.

Speed skating is to the Dutch as sprinting is to Jamaica, they're simply the best

 

Some tid bits of news regarding the games:

• Team GB have confirmed that 2 luge athletes will be sent to the games the first time brits have competed in said event since the 2010 Vancouver games
• Nigeria will compete for the first time at the Winter Olympics with its women’s bobsled team
• Ghana will also compete in the skeleton (mens)
• Jamaica will be sending a women’s bobsled team to the games
• The Korean nations could walk in under one flag and have a joined team of northern and southern athletes for the women’s ice hockey. This is yet to be confirmed by the IOC however

 

Eh, the Olympics are alright, but what about the US version of Celebrity Big Brother? That starts a few days before!

 

British ones already started, but I’ll take the Olympics any day over it!

 

I'd rather Big Brother just end completley!!!

 

Little note:

1. The World Cup for skeleton has ended today with victories for Germany in both the men and women’s events, for those who would like to watch this event I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for the Olympics to start, as there are no more World Cup races left
2. Bobsledding and snowboarding are both on tomorrow for those interested, both on bbc sport for those in the UK

 

North Korea will compete in the games:

Confirmed by the ioc earlier the DPRK contingent will consist of around 30 athletes in three sports (skating, skiing and ice hockey)

The ice hockey team will be combined with the South Korean team and the two nations will enter the stadium together as one.

 

About team size, north Korea is actually sending 22 athletes.

Also today team GB confirmed there skeleton squad with high hopes of a medal.

 

Both team GB and team USA have confirmed their entire teams. Both are sending there largest ever contingents to the games with GB sending a record 59 and the US in access of over 200.

Tonga will also be represented in skiing by a former taekwondo athlete who competed at the Rio summer Olympics and caused quite a stir as the flag bearer ( look it up online you’ll see what I mean)

Now most teams are being confirmed I wondered what people’s predictions are for the games, who will win, what’ll happen how many medels will your home nation win! I’d like to hear all your thoughts.

 

Last bit of news before the games properly kick off tomorrow with the opening ceremony:

• British snowboarding medal hopeful Katie omerod has had to withdraw from the games due to a heel injury. It was hoped she could win medals in the slope style and new big air event.
• The first fight of the games has occurred. A food fight between a Russian and Canadian athlete.
• Mixed doubles curling has started though has proved controversial due to the actions of some players moving the stones with their feet.
• Ski jumping will also kick off tomorrow with qualifying for the men’s normal Hill

For those curious in the UK the opening ceremony starts at 10:30 am tomorrow on bbc 2.

I would also recommend if you would like to learn about the events to read profiles on the bbc sports page or watch Peyonchang 2018: stories to watch on the Olympic YouTube channel

 

Well a fantastic day of sport is done and the first medals given out.

Germany top the table with 2 golds one in biathlon and another which was less expected in the ski jump.

The Dutch women did a clean sweep of the medals in the 3000m speed skating.

South Korea won its first gold in the men’s 1500m short track speed skating.

Sweden also won the first gold of the games in the women’s skiatholon. In that same event the silver medalist from Norway has become the most decorated female winter Olympian with 11 medals to her name.

Luge has started for the men and the Reigning Olympic champion Loch of Germany is leading the standings.

In the women’s 500m short track skating the Korean athlete set a new Olympic record to qualify for the quarter finals. This occurred 11 minutes after the Brit Elise Christie broke the record herself.

 

I saw the women's 500m skating and 3 of them all fell over leaving a probably very happy person in first place.