If You Missed Saturday Night's Olympics, You Missed The Creme de la Creme Of The Last Night...

What can I possibly say about young Evgeny Plushenko of Russia that hasn't already been said or thought? His routine tonight was sheer beauty and masculinity in motion, and it was a total pleasure to watch. I thought his program was totally flawless and his obvious display of emotion was truly genuine. His name reminds me of a Russian poet I was partial to back in my rebellious years... Yevgeny Yevtushenko who once said "Envy is an insult to oneself." Born in 1933, he is the greatest living poet in Russia. But mostly, Plushenko reminded me of a young Mikhail Baryshnikov with his visibly raw emotions.

I've been secretly in love with Mikhail Baryshnikov for at least 30 years and once bought tickets for a friend and I to see him in Lubbock. It was a deal that we paid a couple of hundred dollars extra (each) to have close (to the stage) seats, valet parking, and a cocktail reception to meet him after his performance (which did not include the cost of the drive and the hotel). For weeks we worried about what we'd wear to meet the Prince of Dance and the excitement mounted as the day grew closer. This was before I had children, in the early 1980's and Mr. Snoots and I had only been married a few years. Then one day I received a phone call from the ticket agency, which I knew couldn't be a good thing. It wasn't. Misha had injured his knee, requiring a total of three surgeries, which meant his performance was canceled and our money would be refunded. I was impressed that they called us individually but we didn't want our money back. We just wanted to see him even if he was in a wheelchair and hooked up to a breathing machine. That was not in the cards for us. We both cried. We whined. We got inebriated, cried, and whined. We mourned the death of our one and only chance to see and meet the great Baryshnikov who had been so enchanting and sexy in the 1977 film The Turning Point and later, White Nights with Gregory Hines and Helen Mirren. I still mourn it to this day. Mr. Snoots had to cash the refund check. I could not bring myself to do it. I kept hoping... Anyway, I think Plushenko skates with much of the same passion that Misha danced with back in his glory days.

But, WHOA! Wait just one minute! Then gold medal winner Evan Lysacek came out and skated to Rhapsody In Blue and it was even more dazzling. He was wonderful and nailed all of his jumps as well. Suddenly, he reminded me of a young Fred Astaire, in a way. Fred Astaire on ice skates would be the best description, I think. He presented a completely different program, which set him apart from all the rest. His long elegant limbs, his energy and his emotions were the epitome of what you want to see in men's ice skating. I could never choose between Lysacek and Plushenko because they are so opposite in the style of their skating. That would explain why I'm not a judge, I suppose.


And how about the USA men's 4 man bobsled run? GOLD! After a 66 year absence from medaling in this event at all, we finally have a team that got the job done and will be bringing home the gold medal. Team Holcomb! Woot! Woot! Way to go guys! You did us so proud! As they stood on the podium to receive their gold medals, you could see the tender emotion and pride on their faces.


Davis and White, the USA silver medal winners for ice dancing did a wonderful, enchanting program and were perfect. However, then came the Canadian gold medal winners Virtue and Moir (my personal favorites) and they were nothing short of fabulous with their program. It was one of the most intriguing programs I've ever seen.


After the mountain pretty much beat the daylights out of Lindsey Vonn, she wasn't able to win another medal in her last event. But who cares? She got us a gold medal which is such a great victory for the USA women's ski team!


In addition, my head is still spinning from the 8.8 earthquake in Chile, which has some of the finest summer skiing in the world in Portillo. When I still lived in Aspen, lots of people I knew went to Portillo for the summer to train. I could never afford it and had not yet gotten a sponsor, so I stayed summers in Aspen except for the year I spent in Hawaii. Luckily, the predicted Tsunami never quite hit the Hawaiian Islands with the impact that had been predicted. Better safe than sorry, yes? Anyway, my prayers go out to those who have lost or are still looking for friends and loved ones in Chile...

Tomorrow night is the closing ceremony for the 2010 winter Olympics, but I'm not sad. It has been a landmark Olympics for the USA, for which we should all be proud of our athletes. We have never in the history of the winter Olympics, done so well in Alpine events, figure skating, ice dancing, bobsledding, or even speed skating, period. (I'm sure there are some events I'm forgetting...) It has been a total party from beginning to end... for me, anyway. Bravo to NBC for such great coverage because now I'm looking forward to the 2012 summer Olympics that are to be held in London, England. Hey, Jeri! Got room? (j/k) No matter, because I plan to be there!

So, How Do You Feel About It?

The 2010 Winter Olympics is well underway and it has been fiercely exciting so far, along with some tragedy. My head is still reeling from the Luge deaths, in spite of the fact it was human error. It was absolutely horrifying and my prayers go out to the family and friends of those whose lives were so quickly taken during what should have been a shining moment for them.


On a happier note, Bode Miller (Is that the greatest name ever or what?) made me so proud that I cried (Yeah, no surprise there since I already cry over everything aside from football and Willie Nelson.), even though he got the Bronze Medal in the Men's Downhill event. Then, the American ladies made me even prouder and cry even harder, winning the Silver Medal and the Bronze Medal for the Women's Downhill. The downhill has seldom ever had Americans win the Gold Medal, or any other medal. It has always been dominated by by the Europeans and Scandanavians until now, which makes me so happy I could do cartwheels. (No, really, I think I learned my lesson, thank you!) American men and women ski teams are making history this time around folks. Never before have US Ski Team members shown such displays of expertise in Alpine Skiing skills and I, for one, am exceedingly proud of them.

Lindsey Vonn is my idol for women's skiing, even though I never had anyone of her caliber to look up to back in the day. She is so amazing in that she can rise above the mental anguish of physical pain and go on to win a Gold Medal for the US in the Women's Downhill event. She has a shin injury that must be so excruciating that I can only imagine the amount of pain she had to endure. I whine about the pain in my shin after one day of skiing. On top of her physical prowess, this girl is SMART! Big time Kudos for Lindsey!



I nearly swallowed my tongue when I heard that the US Men's Giant Slalom (GS) skiers were going to ski the same skis as they had skied on in the Downhill. What? Are they insane? Apparently not, since they won Silver and Bronze. However, you have to understand that downhill skis are designed for speed and nothing but speed. (I can say this because I trained for both the Downhill and the GS.) They are much more difficult to turn, which is the essence of the GS. The turns are what it's all about. GS skis are technologically built different, so that they turn more easily. I was pleasantly surprised and amazed at the incredible performances of the men's US Ski Team, holding my breath or screaming at the top of my lungs during each and every run. Oh, and crying. Uh-huh.

Actually, I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that most of the male skiers are so much older than in Olympic Games past. You sure don't see 40 year old American women still trying to win the Downhill or the GS, which might or might not have anything to with the fact that most women quit in time to have children and raise their families. Because I trained for the Downhill and the GS, I can tell you that these particular sporting events are both brutal on the body. You take risks in a skiing competition (especially the Olympics) that you would never take during training, often taking your own breath away by the sheer boldness of what you've done. It is terrifying and exhilarating, all at once. And, if you live through it, there are good times to be had. The training is even more grueling, which is all that prepares you for that which also takes a toll on the body. The race itself. It's a well known fact that men's bodies are stronger than women's and they take longer to age than our feminine bodies do. Yup. Life's a bitch.

And did the women snowboarders rock or what? The US will bring home the Silver and the Bronze in the women's Halfpipe Finals, which was awesome. But (Screeeeech!) an Australian won the Gold? Since when did Australia have winter sports? Evidently, Australia does indeed have winter sports (and has had them like forever), I just don't remember ever hearing of it before. Surfing, yes. Snowboarding, no. Obviously, I've been a hermit for quite some time or otherwise I would have known. However, the men outdid the women, with the US winning Gold and Bronze in the same event.

So, moving on along, I do not profess to know anything at all about figure skating, like my pal Heather, who once competed in figure skating. However, I was stunned that the guy who won the Gold Medal in men's Figure Skating did so without having accomplished a quad. Yes, they changed the requirements for the event, which I understand. I just don't understand why, since it seems to be a fairly difficult move to maneuver. You would think that would be worth mega points, but apparently it is not so since the controversial rule change. Please don't get me wrong here. I'm thrilled that the US won the Gold Medal. And yet, I felt Plushenko's pain as well. Frankly, it isn't unheard of in the world of figure skating, as they change rules on a fairly regular basis. I remember watching the skaters of long ago painstakingly doing the required elements of doing figures and now they aren't even required to do them. However, I must admit that Evan Lysacek was completely dazzling and threw so many triples I suppose no one even noticed the absence of a quad. Or even cared. Plushenko continues the old Russian standards and apparently the world (of figure skating judges at least) is ready for some changes. And, I simply adored the flamboyant performance of Johnny Weir(d). What a free spirit that guy is and he doesn't really give a flying flip what anyone thinks! He's an amazingly mature young man who admits that the world of figure skating is highly political, which is why he knew he's never take a medal home. He was there for the sheer experience of it all. I love that kid!

I do have to say that I was quite disappointed with the Ice Dancing Tango Competition, which is normally my favorite. I thought the judges were stingy with their points, but then again, I don't understand the fine points of judging. I wanted Virtue and Moir to win because I thought their performance was outstanding. Apparently, the judges disagreed. Theirs was at least the most romantic and emotional program of them all.

Another huge change (in my mind at least) were the blue lines on the snow for the Alpine events. Undoubtedly, it was a good change, making it safer for skiers, as well as aiding them in mentally mapping their course as they go screaming down the hill at mach 100 miles per hour. The margin for mistake is basically 0%. Even the slightest wrong move can send you into the nets or worse, into the trees and the resulting injuries can often be life altering. I also realized that in inclement weather, it could definitely save lives, so it's a winning decision all the way around.

I suppose you could say that I am more than happy with the Winter Olympics this year and I'm immensely proud of our athletes. All. Of. Them. So much has changed since the days when I was *in the know* that it's simply mind boggling, adding even more respect for our Olympic Athletes. Things are so complicated and yet so simple these days that you have to be as sharp mentally as you are physically. I think it's all good!