With the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 coming up fast - here is a sort of relevant post about the venue.
The Winter Olympics is not exactly a Gold Medal feast for Australia. A hot sun and not much snow means we’re only just ahead of the Jamaicans in terms of Winter Olympics reputation.
We scored our first ever medal, a bronze, in 1994.
Our very first Gold Medal came from the short track speed skating in 2002. And that’s only because everyone else in the race fell over on the last corner, and the winner, Steve Bradbury, was the last man standing and claimed the finish line first.
Check out the footage of this classic moment, and the disbelief on Steve’s face when he’s realised he’s won:
Anyway, my parents visited Vancouver last year, right in the middle of the Winter Olympics 2010 construction zone. Basically, the entire Winter Olympics 2010 site was full of bulldozers and other construction equipment to make sure the venues were upgraded/constructed in time.
As part of their trip, my parents ventured to the Bobsleigh/Luge track.
You know, this is where people/teams hurtle themselves down an ice track at hundreds of miles per hour.
See below:
But my parents spotted this warning sign at the Bobsleigh/Luge track.
I thought it was fairly obvious not to ride a bike down the ice track, but I have a feeling this sign was put up because of someone’s (bad) previous experience.
Anyway, when you do watch the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010, think of the sign and the silly sod who thought it might have been a good idea to ride down the Bobsleigh/Luge track on a bike!
You can also check out The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: Vancouver 2010 Edition (Complete Book of the Olympics) if you like snow and sport.
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January 18th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Skateboarding allowed, then?
Oh, yes, they can jump over the barricades while their skateboard passes underneath, that must be it.
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January 23rd, 2010 at 12:43 am
Thats looking scary simply in the picture, cant imagine why one would want to throw themselves down a ramp at hurtling speeds with no other possibility but the understanding of sheer death. Oh… right… forget about that… boredom. Though Im guessing the stacks are going to look funny.
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January 28th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
That video was simply hilarious. Great post.
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February 24th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
and it’s sad that someone did get killed on that track during a training run for the luge
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=412058.html
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February 25th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Ice does not scare us Canadians. Riding a bike down there seems like a completely logical thing to do, hence the sign.
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March 1st, 2010 at 3:16 am
Ok, so you Australians are not winter material. Actually, when I picture Australia it is sun and surf, Not snow and ice.
I like the bicycle sign. Who in their right mind would want to do that. I know there are some adventurous types that will try. Hey, you only live once.
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March 24th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
id love to go down there haha
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May 17th, 2010 at 5:00 am
We loved your writing style, please keep at it for us all!
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August 16th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
The first Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Prior to this, figure skating and ice hockey had been events at the Summer Olympics.
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