The results of the 2006 Winter Olympics
Its been a long time in the waiting but here it is, the results and write up of the 2006 Winter Olympic games. This year the Games had three new disciplines in their respected sports; Pursuit speed skate, Snowboard X, and X Country Ski-ing Mass Start.
In the 4man Bobsleigh, with the absence of Jamaica and Cool Runnings, it was Brazils turn to take last place, going down on their heads for a ¼ of the first run. GB came in at a respectable place of 17th. The eventual medalists 1st, Germany 2nd, Russian Federation 3rd, Switzerland.
Still with a sliding category and Britain’s only medal, Skeleton Bob. Shelly Rudman brought home a silver medal losing only to Maya Pederson of Switzerland. In men’s Skeleton Kristan Bromley took 5th place as a consolation for his medal in Salt Lake City. With Canada taking 1st and 2nd only being denied a 1 2 3 by Swiss slider Gregor Staehli. Whilst we are on the subject the Luge the last Sliding category, Zoeggeler took gold for the home crowd of Italy in the mens disclipline, and in the womens “Grandma Luge” pulled out at the last minute due to injury leaving no outside longshots. Germany took all three medals in the end though with Sylke Otto winning gold.
Speed skating, and as expected the Netherlands took almost everything in the long track, apart from the debut event the "Pursuit" (like the cycling pursuit) in which they fell over making them settle for a bronze medal race. The Netherlands and their fans always make the long track a special event no matter what distance. In the short track though it tends to be the asian coutries that clear up and it was so in the womens 500m with Meng Wang of China winning. Although in mens 500m it was a different story, Korea the only asian team to medal, taking bronze, leaving the master of short track Apollo Anton Ohno (USA) to take gold.
Onto Curling, a sport that originated from Scotland believe it or not! In Salt Lake City, the UK womens team won the gold and made the sport pretty popular in Scotland. There was to be no such medal this year though, the womens team failing to qualify in the first round left it open for Sweden to take the womens gold and the silver medalist in 2002 to take yet another silver (switzerland). In the mens however, GB did make it through to the semi-final only to lose to Finland the eventual silver medalists. This meant a 3rd place play-off which we lost on the final stone to the USA.
Snowboarding, one of the most popular sports in the winter games timetable was to be brilliant this year. The talent has risen by 100% since 2002 and in the halfpipe especially. In the halfpipe mens American Shaun “the flying tomato” White took gold with an awe inspiring run. In the womens who are now nearly at the same standard as men only Kjersti Buaas could upset the American 1 2 3 taking bronze ahead of Kelly Clark. The winner Hannah Teter was by far the better rider and deserverd to win pulling of a clean 900. The debut discipline of Snowboard X was to be one not to forget soon, with American Lindsay Jacobellis falling on the last jump, and forcing her self to take silver, she said that she had to bail although from replays it looks like she was showing off, the eventual winner Swiss girl Tanja Frieden. In mens a spanish rider in the final! The best position a spanish Winter Games athlete had ever got in any competition coming 4th overall. Seth Wescott (USA) winning gold. Parellel Giant slalom was to be one the Schoch brothers wont forget in a hurry, both competing head to head in the final Simon Schoch beating Phillip in the end. Womens Germany’s Amelie Kober winning gold.
In the mens Ice Hockey there was to be a massive upset when neither the USA or Canada medalled both losing early on. Finland were to be the underdogs that would make it through to final never losing, however an on form Sweden made that change to win the final 3-2. Womens Ice Hockey is not as popular with ½ the teams that compete in the mens. Sweden again reached the final but lost only to the reigning champions Canada 4-1.
Mens Downhill, the 100m of the Winter Games and was to be the best one yet. British Finlay Mickel finished a respectable 25th, behind some great Skiers. The winner Antione Deneriaz was the last person to go down the hill and pulled off an amazing run beating the previous skiers by at least .72 of a second. Womens downhill and Chemmy Alcott was in silver medal position at one stage only to be beaten by the better skiers to go down in the later stages. The winner Michaela Dorfmeister taking gold for Austria.
So on that note with just a few more Sports to go through I should leave you with the complete medal table courtesy of www.nbcolympics.com
Country |
Gold Medals |
Silver Medals |
Bronze Medals |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Germany |
11 |
12 |
6 |
29 |
