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Column: Americans ski past Winter Olympic sport
Published: Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Last week, a 36-year-old man won his 10th and 11th career Winter Olympic medals, giving him the second-highest career medal count of all time. If he returns to the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in 2014 (and he says he wants ...(back to the article)
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Pleeeeeaaaaseee write in the Prince more often, Gavin.
This article is hella fratty
Gavin = the sexiest man alive. When Justin Timberlake says that he's bringin' sexy back, it's all a lie. Gavin is actually the one doing that.
I don't really mean this, Gavin, but you're an "oat"
Gavin Byrnes is fucking ill. Kim Jong Ill.
This article isn't quite as good as wheat, but it's close.
Gavin: Your article made my day, since after my 19 years of living in Europe I too fell in love with the biathlon and agree that its athletes are the fittest in the world. I'll be forwarding your terrific article to several Norwegian friends! Thanks Gavin for covering a sport that gets zilch attention here in the States. I too am rooting for Bjoerndalen to break Bjorn Daehlie's incredible Olympic medal record. Glenn Adams '63
Great article. I'm glad there are other Americans who appreciate these sports. It was always a bit disappointing to excitedly share the news of the previous day's Cross-Country or Biathlon events with friends who just didn't have a clue. Maybe having a bit of Norwegian blood in me made Petter Northug's final sprint in the 50K so exciting, or Bjoerndalen's final shoot so intense, but I think anyone could enjoy these events if they gave them a chance.
Gavin Byrnes is hella ill.
My problem with Biathlon is solely that it comes so directly out of military war games and is but one click away from shooting at an enemy. Otherwise, I completely agree with your premise that it is difficult, has finesse &c &c. I also thought the North American Hockey Championships were terrific. Unless I am mistaken, there were no goonfights and remarkably few penalties. Loved that, NHL! As an XC enthusiast, those races were among my favorites of the entire winter games. Speed skating is another fantastic sport--not Short Track, which like its warm weather twin, roller derby, belongs in the circus or as a side show at NASCAR. Aerial ski jumping and half pipe stuff belongs in the X Games, however popular. Undeniably athletic, there's still too much hit or miss. The downhill skiing events come close when you consider how many starters fail to complete their runs. And yes, there are way too many professional teams. The good news about that, I suppose, is that more people get to pursue their sport at a higher level, longer. Nice article, reasonably balanced--you'll probably never get a job at Sports Illustrated, but maybe The Atlantic or The New Yorker, both superior publications for a writer. Maybe it all boils down to amateur vs. professional, or amateur vs. military. Guns and money in an already too violent world don't do it for me. The playing fields of Eton disguised the warfare of sports much better. I won't go into the heads and knees of American football, another worm can. Thanks...