All the olympics stuff

[cindysphynx]

Kimberly wrote (about short track skating):

>I hold my breath through every turn, but it's so 
> fascinating that I can't look away.

I think that short track skating takes the cake for Most Lawless 
Olympic sport.  Even in boxing, you have a referee to control things, 
for cryin' out loud.  In short track, you have the gold medal round 
of a short track event, four skaters are dashing to the finish line, 
the leader gets knocked down through no fault of his own, and the 
*slowest* guy wins?  This makes me want to start training as a short 
track skater because, heck, you never know, I might actually bring 
home the gold.

Today's Washington Post mentioned the nice Australian fellow who 
skipped off with the gold medal, solely due to the fact that he was 
so thoroughly out-classed that he was in no position to win.  They 
said that he had been severely injured twice in the sport.  Once he 
actually broke his neck (C5 and C6, I think).  A second time, he fell 
on someone's skate blade and cut through all four of his quad 
muscles.  Maybe these guys should skate in a suit of armor.

If I might be so bold, I think they need to fiddle with the short 
track rules just a bit.  In previous rounds, some skaters who fell 
due to fouls by other skaters were advanced to the next round.  Why, 
then, do they not have a similar remedy in the gold medal round?  
Shouldn't they have a provision for a re-skate when a gold medal is 
at stake?

Kimberly again (on figure skating):

>So while we're at it, could we penalize 
> excess makeup, sparkly things on people's faces, women's costumes 
> that ride up, unitards (or anything that's more like tights than 
> pants) for men, and any costume that either has random whispy bits 
> hanging off of it or cannot be easily explained by the theme of the 
> music?  Yes - a taste requirement!  
> 

I think I have found my soul mate!  Yes.  We will also have automatic 
disqualifications for any men sporting chest hair through plunging 
necklines, and a life-time ban for anyone with a large gold medallion 
on a gold chain resting on top of their chest hair.  We will 
discourage that skin-colored netting that covers so much of many 
costumes.  We will have an equal opportunity ban on unitards, as 
Debbie Thomas wore won in the Olympics for reasons that cannot be 
explained.  We will have a special 3-day clinic to straighten out 
Surya Bonaly. 

Yes, that should work.

Cindy (who thinks short track skaters might well be the Toughest 
Winter Olympic athletes)